Critically acclaimed Māori soul artist Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi (aka TEEKS) is returning to Adelaide with a one-night-only performance at Her Majesty’s Theatre on Thursday 19 November, as part of his largest Australian tour to date, celebrating the live performance of his new music.
Globally recognised for his rich, raw vocals and captivating storytelling, the multi-award winning singer-songwriter has been likened to the male version of Adele by Vogue, found fans in acts such as Wu Tang’s RZA, and made an undeniable global impact as one of New Zealand’s most successful musical exports.
His platinum certified 2017 debut EP, The Grapefruit Skies, introduced TEEKS as a rare visionary voice, earning him the Aotearoa Music Award’s Best Māori Artist honour. In 2021, his acclaimed platinum debut album Something To Feel solidified TEEKS’ magnetic star power, reaching #1 on the NZ Album Chart. The record saw TEEKS recognised as the Aotearoa Music Award’s Best Solo Artist, Best Soul/RnB Artist, and Best Māori Artist, as well as taking out the MTV European Music Award’s Best NZ Act 2021 and Rolling Stone AU’s Best New Artist 2022.
TEEKS spoke to Glam Adelaide about the tour, his music, how he approaches writing new songs, and shared how music has always been a huge part of his life.
“Music has always been part of what makes me who I am. I think it’s also a cultural thing because I’m Māori, I’m indigenous to Aotearoa New Zealand. I grew up around singing, around music, around performance and dance because it’s quite an integral part of our culture. It wasn’t until I got into high school that I decided I wanted to pursue music professionally, and I’ve been writing songs since then. I feel very blessed and grateful that something that brings me joy is also my job.”
TEEKS’ voice is exquisite and his songs are written from the heart as he explained his writing format to us.
“It’s kind of different every time. I don’t necessarily have a formula or format, but for the most part, I let the music lead me. I’ll play around with some chords on an instrument, either guitar or piano, and then I usually find a melody first. Then that will kind of inform me as to the shape and the feel, and eventually the lyrics will come and I’ll start to paint a picture and tell a story in that way. But that’s generally how I like to write.”
TEEKS recently released his first single in more than two years — the playfully vulnerable My Boy,challenging ideas about queerness and masculinity, signalling a new chapter of emotional candour. We asked TEEKS how important it is for him to be a voice for people who may not be heard politically.
“I don’t know if it’s necessarily something I’m thinking about in the moment when I’m making music, but as an indigenous person, as someone who is queer and a minority, it definitely feels like I have a responsibility to make my voice heard. It’s important for other people out there who have shared experiences to have role models that you can see yourself in”
The last time TEEKS was in Australia was for performances in Sydney and Melbourne in February 2025, but he has also performed at Adelaide’s WOMAD Festival (2019) and Sydney’s Vivid Festival (2022).
“There’s something about Australia. I’ve performed there a few times now and every time I go and play a show, the reception is so warm. The audiences are always so good to me. I played in Adelaide years ago for one night at WOMAD and I’m really looking forward to coming back. Australians really appreciate good music and a good performance.”
TEEKS will be performing at Her Majesty’s Theatre on Thursday 19th November as part of his 2026 Australian tour.
“This is going to be a completely new show with new music. I have an album that I wrapped up at the end of last year and we’re planning to release it over the next few months. So by the time I come across to Australia it will be the first run of shows post-album release. I’m excited about going back on tour and designing a whole new show and just playing new music. It’s been about five years since my last album, which is a long time. I can’t wait to go back out there and connect with people and share some new music with everyone.”
Don’t miss TEEKS’ return to Australia with a musical experience nothing short of the spiritual, in what is sure to be one of the most soulful shows of the year.
Tickets on sale now.
TEEKS – Australian Tour
Her Majesty’s Theatre
Thursday 19th November 2026
https://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/teeks
Photo credit: Frances Carter
