Glo show
Wellington’s iconic World of WearableArt experience returns from 17 September to 4 October, and after a three-year hiatus, crowd-favourite category Bizarre Bra is back. Mark your calendars and plan your trip to the capital now.
The 2026 WOW show: GLO! will transform Wellington’s TSB Arena into six charged creative worlds, each exploring a different creative energy – from fire-forged metal to explosive movement and playful Kiwi nostalgia.
The concept reflects the creative spark at the heart of every WOW design, says Chief Executive Meg Williams. “Each piece of wearable art holds its own energy, brought to life through the alchemy of live performance. When a designer’s vision and performer meet, something electric happens. We want the show to charge the audience with a surge of creativity and celebrate what makes them GLO!”
One of the event’s most iconic sections, Bizarre Bra, is back for the first time since 2023. Introduced in 1995, the category has featured more than 400 extraordinary creations, made from everything from teapots to telephones.“The challenge of designing such a small garment sparks incredible creativity. The results are unexpected, witty, camp and truly bizarre – you won’t find a better finale,” Meg says.
International creative powerhouse Brian Burke – who’s produced and directed the opening and closing ceremonies for the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, among other high-profile events – returns for his fifth year as executive creative director, bringing global stagecraft and spectacle to the WOW stage. Designed to reflect how audiences now experience entertainment, the show moves between intimate and spectacular moments.
Alongside breathtaking wearable art, Brian promises unforgettable theatrical moments. “As we approach WOW’s 40-year anniversary, the ambition is always to keep evolving and push the boundaries of live entertainment. Every year we challenge ourselves to bring the garments closer and dial up the awe, engagement and the unexpected. We’ve got some really exciting concepts in motion that we know will take peoples’ breath away.”
GLO!’s six sections include: Metallic, forged in heat, light and transformation; Open, where pop art bursts from the walls; Aotearoa, where nature is digitally refracted; Avant-garde, shaping the future; Kinetic, where motion becomes visible; and Bizarre Bra.
GLO! runs from 17 September to 4 October; tickets are on sale now at worldofwearableart.com.
