NZ Music T-Shirt Day is here

It's the perfect way to show your support for your fave New Zealand musicians

Need an excuse to buy some new band merch? Ready to dust off your favourite t-shirt? Well, you’re in luck because NZ Music T-Shirt Day is ready to round out NZ Music Month.

The premise behind NZ Music T-Shirt Day is a simple one – it is a nationwide celebration of the music of Aotearoa and the power music has to make a positive difference in our lives.

For many of us, the music we love and the musicians who write and perform were some of our closest friends during isolation. They were there when we wake up and, for many, were also the last voices we heard before we went to sleep.

Raising funds for MusicHelpsLive, an appeal launched by the MusicHelps charity to directly help those working in the New Zealand music industry, Kiwis are encouraged to wear their favourite Kiwi band or artist’s t-shirt and, if you have the means, make a donation on Friday 26 May 2023.

Make a donation

2023 marks the fifth NZ Music T-Shirt Day, and this year it is still incredibly important as MusicHelpsLive aim to raise much-needed funds to help support live events and those affected by the unpredictable weather events and cancellations of recent.

Kiwis are encouraged to dig out their favourite piece of music merchandise and encourage friends, whanau, and workmates to do the same. Take a photo and upload it to your favourite social media using the #nzmusictshirtday hashtag.

Need some merch suggestions, there’s a whole website dedicated to that here.

How to get involved in NZ Music T-shirt Day:

If you have the means, jump onto the websites of your favourite New Zealand musicians and purchase yourself a new t-shirt (or hat, tote bag, badge, pair of socks, beanie, etc) ready for the big day. There are so many incredible designs out in the world, and purchasing directly from your favourite artists means that that money can help sustain them when they need it most. (If you need some inspo, MusicHelpsLive has pulled together a huge list of Kiwi artists, but this is only scratching the surface.)
Pull out some merch you’ve already got. Maybe you don’t need any new clothes right now, and that’s okay too. But if you’ve got some merch tucked away in your wardrobe, now is the time to dust it off.
Share on social media – post a photo of you wearing your merch on all your socials, tag the band, tag us, tag MusicHelpsLive, show your friends and encourage them to get involved too.
Maybe you don’t have the means to buy some new merch but want to lend a hand anyway. Consider making a donation to MusicHelpsLive to help those in the music industry doing it tough right now.
Shout about your favourite bands – put their songs into your Spotify playlists, share their music on your social media, make a Facebook post about how much you love them. NZ Music T-shirt Day is more than just a day to wear a cool shirt (though that is a great perk) it is also a day to celebrate, support, and show love to all the Kiwi artists that make our days a little bit brighter – and that’s something we definitely need right now.

While you’re here, check out our NZ Music Month playlist, chock full of our favourite New Zealand artists.

NZ Music T-Shirt Day 2023 is taking place on Friday 26 May.