From Aotearoa New Zealand to audiences around the world
For 17 extraordinary days, the 2026 Michael Hill International Violin Competition brought world-class music to communities across Aotearoa New Zealand and to audiences around the globe.
Across 50 concerts, performances, masterclasses and community events, the Competition welcomed 4,800 live audience attendances in Christchurch, Queenstown, Auckland and Wellington, celebrating its Silver Anniversary with its largest and most connected programme to date.
The Competition’s impact extended well beyond the concert hall. Through school performances, public masterclasses, side-by-side rehearsals and community workshops, nearly 2,000 Kiwis experienced the Competition through education and outreach activities, including 350 active community musicians who played alongside, learned from or worked directly with some of the world’s finest artists.
Beyond New Zealand, the Competition reached audiences on an unprecedented scale through livestreaming, broadcasting, digital media and international editorial coverage.
With the support of media partners RNZ Concert, The Violin Channel and Amadeus TV, videography and livestreaming support by JX Live, and the Competition’s own digital channels, the 2026 Competition created more than 2 million audience interactions across broadcast, livestream, social media and digital platforms introducing audiences around the world to the artistry of the competitors, the warmth of New Zealand’s communities and the distinctive spirit of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition.
Some key elements of this were:
- More than 300,000 livestream and broadcast viewers and listeners worldwide
- 90000 views across the MHIVC YouTube channel
- More than 1.4million views across Facebook and Instagram
- 90,000 email updates read
Our editorial coverage carried the story of the Competition across 17 NZ and international media outlets to an to estimated potential editorial reach of approximately 5.3 million people worldwide.
The Michael Hill International Violin Competition has always belonged to New Zealand, but it is experienced across the world. That global reach is only possible because of the extraordinary generosity of our audiences, volunteers, sponsors, donors, host families and media partners, who together help share this remarkable event far beyond our concert halls.
As the Competition celebrates its 25th Anniversary, the 2026 edition reaffirmed its place as one of the world’s leading violin competitions and likely one of a handful of New Zealand’s most internationally connected cultural events.
