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Fran Lebowitz Announces NZ Show
Scathing, Sharp, and Seriously Funny: American author and commentator Fran Lebowitz returns to New Zealand in May 2026 for an evening of razor-sharp commentary, biting realism, and unapologetic observations
Renowned American author and cultural commentator Fran Lebowitz will tour Australia and New Zealand in May 2026. Returning with An Evening with Fran Lebowitz, the star of Martin Scorsese's hit Netflix documentary series Pretend It's a City unleashes her chain-smoking, coffee-drinking New Yorker bite on a world falling ever more deeply into depravity, sucked along in the wake of Trump 2.0.
Tuesday May 19 - Sydney Opera House – Sydney
Presented in partnership with Sydney Opera House
Thursday May 21 - Regal Theatre – Perth
Saturday May 23 - Festival Theatre – Adelaide
Sunday May 24 - QPAC Concert Hall – Brisbane
Monday May 25 - Hamer Hall – Melbourne
Thursday May 28 - Kiri Te Kanawa – Auckland
Presented in partnership with the Auckland Writers Festival
Weaving a cautionary tale for our society, and never short of an opinion - from politicians to AI and people who walk too slowly to billionaires - Fran has for decades lambasted the abhorrent and ridiculous with wit and wisdom in equal measure. From her turbulent upbringing in New Jersey and her expulsion from high school, branded as a pernicious influence on her peers, to her audacious plunge into 1970s New York City, where she penned a column for Andy Warhol's Interview magazine, Lebowitz will offer insights into the pressing issues of our time, including gender, race, politics, and the media. Moreover, she will regale audiences with a litany of personal vexations, aiming her disdainful gaze at the revolting spectacles of celebrity culture, the nuisance of tourists, the encroachment of technology, and the absurdity of strollers.
Amidst an ever-shifting world, these events promise to serve as a caustic tonic, delivering piercing observations on contemporary living and modern culture. Brace yourself for Lebowitz's unfiltered, off-the-cuff brilliance - a testament to her formidable writing, marked by its unyielding forthrightness, irascibility, and unwaveringly opinionated nature.
Come for the candour, stay for the cynicism – and leave vastly more entertained.
Lebowitz on wisdom: “Think before you speak. Read before you think.”
On frankness: “Spilling your guts is exactly as charming as it sounds.”
On parenting: “If you are truly serious about preparing your child for the future, don't teach him to subtract - teach him to deduct.”
On herself: “Success didn’t spoil me; I’ve always been insufferable.”
On you: “Your life story would not make a good book. Don't even try.”
Fane Presents
AN EVENING WITH FRAN LEBOWITZ
Tuesday May 19 - Sydney Opera House – Sydney
Presented in partnership with Sydney Opera House
Thursday May 21 - Regal Theatre – Perth
Saturday May 23 - Festival Theatre – Adelaide
Sunday May 24 - QPAC Concert Hall – Brisbane
Monday May 25 - Hamer Hall – Melbourne
Thursday May 28 - Kiri Te Kanawa – Auckland
Presented in partnership with the Auckland Writers Festival
Tickets on presale from Tuesday September 9 and general on sale from Thursday September 11 via fane.com.au
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