Sir Dave Dobbyn turns 70 on 3 January 2027, and he is marking it on stage, with a birthday show at the Coroglen Tavern in the Coromandel. Before that he plays the last Rhythm and Vines at Waiohika Estate in Gisborne (28 to 31 December 2026). He has been married to Anneliesje since 1983, and his songs include Slice of Heaven, Loyal and Welcome Home.
Almost 50 years after his first hit with Th’ Dudes, Dobbyn is still selling out theatres. Here are his upcoming shows, the songs people search for most, and the family he has kept mostly out of the spotlight.
Dave Dobbyn tour dates and concerts in 2026 and 2027
As of 19 October 2026, these are the confirmed dates, with past 2026 shows included for reference:
| Date | Show | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 25 July 2026 (past) | Selected Songs Encore, with Fables in support | The Civic, Auckland |
| Wed 19 August 2026 (past) | APRA In Conversation, interviewed by Mike Hall | Hollywood Avondale, Auckland |
| 28 to 31 December 2026 | Rhythm and Vines (festival line-up) | Waiohika Estate, Gisborne |
| Sun 3 January 2027 | Sir Dave Dobbyn’s Birthday Party | The Coroglen Tavern, Coromandel |
The Civic show was a one-night encore of the Selected Songs tour, which sold out around Aotearoa in 2025. Live Nation lists the Coroglen birthday show, with a presale that opened on 5 October. Tickets for both summer dates are sold through the promoters’ official sites. No wider 2027 tour had been announced as of October 2026.
Dave Dobbyn at Rhythm and Vines
Rhythm and Vines named “Sir Dave Dobbyn” in its first line-up release for 2026. It is the festival’s 24th edition and its last at Waiohika Estate before it moves to a new North Island site, and an RnV spokesperson told 1News his “catalogue of defining songs will create a fitting moment during the festival’s final Gisborne celebration.”
How old is Dave Dobbyn?
David Joseph Dobbyn was born on 3 January 1957 in Auckland and grew up in Glen Innes. He is 69 as of October 2026 and turns 70 on 3 January 2027, the date of the Coroglen show. He went to Sacred Heart College from 1968 to 1974.
Who is Dave Dobbyn married to?
Dobbyn is married to Anneliesje Dobbyn. They met at a Th’ Dudes New Year’s show in Whangamatā and married in 1983.
Does Dave Dobbyn have children?
Yes. The only child named in his published biographies is his daughter Grace. AudioCulture records him moving back to Auckland in the early 1990s “with his wife Anneliesje and one-year-old daughter Grace.” He has not made any other details about his children public.
Dave Dobbyn’s best songs
These are the songs Kiwis search for most, in the order they were released:
- Be Mine Tonight (1978), the first Th’ Dudes single, co-written with Ian Morris and sung by Dobbyn.
- Bliss (1980), a Th’ Dudes single.
- Whaling (1984), a DD Smash song from the year of The Optimist.
- Slice of Heaven (1986), recorded with Herbs for the Footrot Flats film. It was a huge New Zealand hit and went to number one in Australia.
- Loyal (1988), the title track of his first full solo album. Team New Zealand adopted it as its song for the 2002 America’s Cup.
- Language (1994), which won the Most Performed Work award in 1995.
- Beside You (1998), from The Islander, which won the Silver Scroll.
- Welcome Home (2005), the opening track of Available Light.
What is Welcome Home about?
Dobbyn wrote Welcome Home in response to incidents that exposed racial prejudice in New Zealand, including the case of the Algerian asylum seeker Ahmed Zaoui. After Zaoui’s release, he joined Dobbyn to perform it at the New Zealand Music Awards. A te reo Māori version, Nau Ma Rā, followed in 2017.
What is Loyal about?
Loyal, the title song of his 1988 album, became a favourite at ceremonies of all kinds, AudioCulture notes. Team New Zealand used it as its theme for the 2002 America’s Cup, and Dobbyn was on call to lead a singalong of it at Shed 10 in Auckland if the team won the Cup in 2013.
Th’ Dudes, DD Smash and Herbs
Dobbyn formed Th’ Dudes after school with Peter Urlich and Ian Morris, starting as guitarist before stepping up to sing Be Mine Tonight. When the band split in 1980 he started Dave Dobbyn’s Divers, which soon became DD Smash. That band’s albums were Cool Bananas (1982), the live Deep in the Heart of Taxes (1983) and The Optimist (1984). Herbs were never his band, but their harmonies are all over Slice of Heaven.
Dave Dobbyn albums
His solo albums are Loyal (1988), Lament for the Numb (1993), Twist (1994), The Islander (1998), Hopetown (2000), Available Light (2005), Anotherland (2008) and Harmony House (2016). There is also the Footrot Flats soundtrack (1986) and the live Together in Concert (2000) with Tim Finn and Bic Runga.
Why is he Sir Dave Dobbyn?
He was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2003 and promoted to Knight Companion for services to music in the 2021 New Year Honours. Government House records his investiture in Auckland on 21 April 2021. He has won the APRA Silver Scroll three times (1987, 1993 and 1998), was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2013 and went in again with Th’ Dudes in 2019.
Frequently asked questions
Who is opening for Dave Dobbyn?
Fables supported him at The Civic in July 2026. At Rhythm and Vines he is one act on a festival bill, and no support act has been listed for the Coroglen birthday show.
Is Dave Dobbyn a Kiwi?
Yes. He was born in Auckland in 1957 and grew up in Glen Innes.
Who sang Slice of Heaven?
Dave Dobbyn with Herbs, in 1986, for the film Footrot Flats: The Dog’s Tale.
What band was Dave Dobbyn in?
Th’ Dudes and then DD Smash, before going solo in the mid-1980s.
What is Dave Dobbyn doing now?
Still performing. After the Selected Songs encore at The Civic and an APRA talk in August 2026, his next shows are Rhythm and Vines in December and his 70th birthday show on 3 January 2027.
