Celebrate NZ Music Month in style. Plus, tracks to listen to while you do.
Mark your calendars: May 29 is NZ Music T-Shirt Day. On that Friday – the last of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa/NZ Music Month – embrace the occasion and spotlight local musicians, and signal your
support for the creative arts.
The designated NZ Music Month charity tee for 2026 has just a few sizes left. But local musicians extend their artistry to design, too: screen printing T-shirts to hawk at merch tables for their gigs around Aotearoa.
For long periods, band T-shirts have been styled ultra-casually with jeans and a jacket. However, more contemporary street style approaches see the staple dressed up – layered as vests or highlighted through colour blocking.
In this collection, you’ll find T-shirts from all sorts of musicians who play in all different genres. Some are obviously pledging allegiance to a certain musician, but others feature more subtle nods to our local artists.
Last week, Geneva AM took home a Taite Prize for Best Independent Debut for her album Pikipiki. This tee is branded with her name and a love heart – ideal for signalling the way you feel about her music.
Electronic musician Mokotron has the cover of his EP Tawhito, designed by James Paratii Lainchbury, rendered on a grey marle tee.
This dreamy tee captures the vibe of Fazerdaze’s sophomore album Soft Power.
Introduce a shock of colour with this lime tee from Marlin’s Dreaming. It reads “hold on to your ears!” at its centre.
Ready for a dance? A little revelry? Consider the text and album title from Jazmine Mary – tell others you want to rock and roll.
Lucy Suttor, lead vocalist of Dick Move, is staunch and energetic. The slogan on this tee reinforces that perspective: “Dream, Believe, Achieve.”
Benee’s tee captures angst in a swirly pink font, with the slogan saying “Ur an angel, I’m just particles”. One for the lovers!
Marlon Williams took out the top award at the Taite Music Prize for his album Te Whare Tīwekaweka. He has a range of merch for the album (which Viva has highlighted before), but also a few from the archive.
Let a ‘yeehaw’ loose in this tee by country artist Sig Wilder.
A gooey illustration brings this Pheobe Rings sweatshirt to life (it’s also realised in a more vibrant green for their tees).
Singer-songwriter Reb Fountain has just released a new album called Smoke Signals, so this tee is particularly timely.
The Beths merch is always cheery – even when it depicts a frowny face. This design is by Lily Paris West.
Good music always feels a little magic. This cap from Unknown Mortal Orchestra, featuring magician hands and a wand, captures this quite literally.
These teensy robot characters come from the cover art for Pickle Darling’s album Bots.
Made in collaboration with Eleventeen Ceramics, each one of these creatures is Not A Bee, But A Wasp.
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