Ella Monnery is doing what a lot of artists think about and only a few actually try: saying the big dream out loud, then building a public wave behind it.
The Kiwi singer has launched a social-first campaign to open for Swedish pop star Zara Larsson when Larsson brings her “Midnight Sun” tour to Auckland’s Spark Arena this October. The timing is no accident. With huge touring names landing in New Zealand and ticket demand running hot, Monnery is trying to turn that buzz into an on-stage opportunity — and asking the internet to help make it real.
Two Auckland dates, one bold goal
Zara Larsson’s Auckland stop has become one of the most talked-about pop bookings on the calendar, with two nights confirmed at Spark Arena — October 25 and October 26, 2026. The second date was added after the first show moved quickly, a sign that Larsson’s fanbase here is bigger and more ready than some expected.
That momentum matters, because opening slots at arena shows don’t just offer a warm-up set. They can be a career accelerant — a chance to step in front of thousands of people who already showed up primed for pop, production, and big choruses.
If you’re looking for the official event details and ticket info, it’s listed on Live Nation’s Zara Larsson Spark Arena listing.
The pitch: “I really want to open for her”
Monnery’s campaign centres on a direct, personal video message aimed at Larsson — part introduction, part résumé, part heartfelt fan moment. She doesn’t frame it as a vague wish. She frames it as a clear ask: let me open your New Zealand shows.
Her angle is simple and strategic: she’s not new to stages, she’s not new to crowds, and she’s not new to delivering under pressure. What she’s asking for is a chance to bring her own name to the front of the stage — not as a supporting voice for someone else, but as the artist audiences come early to see.
Nine years in the Aotearoa scene
Monnery describes herself as someone who has been working in the Aotearoa music scene for nine years — a stretch of time that, in music terms, usually includes the unglamorous parts: the late nights, the long drives, the festival chaos, the rehearsals, the covers, the sessions, the gigs where you win new fans one by one.
It’s also why her supporters are leaning hard into the “she’s earned this” narrative. In her own telling, she’s already sung with a mix of New Zealand artists and DJ-driven projects, and she’s performed across major festival environments — places where you learn quickly how to hold attention, work a stage, and keep energy high even when the crowd doesn’t know your name yet.
Among the highlights she’s associated with are big local live brands and festival stages such as SACHI, Synthony, Rhythm and Vines, Jim Beam Homegrown, Electric Avenue, and Rhythm and Alps, plus other large-scale events. In other words: this isn’t a bedroom-to-arena leap. It’s a step up from one level of big room to the biggest room.
From singing for others to singing for herself
One of the most resonant lines in her message is the shift she describes from being a vocalist for other people’s projects to placing her own name at the centre. Over the last year, she says, she made a deliberate decision to stop primarily singing for other artists and start focusing on her own music.
That’s the subtext of the whole campaign: not just “give me a slot,” but “this is the moment I’m stepping into my own lane.” For fans who’ve watched local talent grind for years, it’s a storyline that’s easy to get behind — especially when it’s attached to a specific, time-stamped opportunity.
The Zara connection runs deeper than a tour poster
Monnery has also tied her pitch to a real performance moment from earlier in her career: she covered Larsson’s “Symphony” during a semi-finals performance on The Voice Australia in 2021. It’s an important detail because it frames her as more than a hopeful opener — it frames her as someone who has already interpreted Larsson’s work on a high-pressure stage, with cameras rolling and stakes high.
That kind of link is sticky in pop culture terms. Fans love the idea of a long-running thread — a song you sang years ago becoming the bridge to a stage you’ve been aiming at ever since.
Kiwi radio and artists jump in
The campaign has also picked up public support from Kiwi media voices and fellow musicians, with social posts tagging Larsson and encouraging the opener idea. That visibility matters because it turns a single Instagram video into a broader conversation — the kind that can reach promoters, tour teams, and the artist’s own feeds through sheer repetition.
And it’s not happening in a vacuum. New Zealand has seen online “manifesting” campaigns turn into genuine stage moments before — proof that social momentum can sometimes travel beyond likes and comments and into real booking decisions.
Why opening slots can change everything
For a local artist, an arena opening set isn’t only about applause in the room. It’s about what happens in the hours after: new followers, streaming spikes, press mentions, and the credibility that comes from being placed on a bill that audiences already trust.
It can also reshape the next year of a career — making festival bookings easier, collaborations more likely, and future headline shows less of a leap of faith for ticket buyers.
Monnery’s bet is that people don’t just want international acts to visit — they also want New Zealand artists to be visible on those nights, in those rooms, on those stages.
What happens next
There’s no confirmed decision yet on who will open the Auckland shows, but Monnery’s approach is clear: keep the message simple, keep the momentum building, and keep it positive enough that the story spreads. In a touring era where attention can be as valuable as airtime, she’s trying to make the opener choice feel obvious — not just to fans, but to the people who can actually make the call.
For now, the campaign continues in public. And whether she lands the slot or not, Ella Monnery has already achieved one thing that’s hard to buy: she has people watching, talking, and rooting for her — loudly.
