Saturday 25th April 2026 - 6pm - 10pm

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Deep inside the Milky Way Glowworm Cave is the Starburst Cathedral, the largest chamber of the cave, filled with delicate crystal formations and thousands of star-like glowworms.  Here the mix of music, the unique acoustics of the cave chamber, the sound of dripping water, the absolutely enchanting beauty of this subterranean world provides you with a magical experience of a lifetime. 

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​The Milky Way Glowworm Cave is a Jewel of Northland.  The privately owned cave was opened for public viewing in early 2023 after being kept secret for over 100 years. The cave required a lot of development over 5 years to make it a walk-in show-cave.  It has rapidly become world famous for its quality of stalactites and glowworms and draws visitors from around the world. It has now been on television in the UK, Germany, filmed for a NZ television program due for release early 2026 and a nature documentary in Czech Republic along with YouTubers from Argentina, USA, India, and other countries.  The Starburst Cathedral is the largest chamber, 250m into the Milky Way Glowworm Cave.   This chamber is the most spectacular display of delicate straws and stalactites, 10s and 100s of thousands of years old.  It is an awe inspiring place with wonderful acoustics.

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Artists & Music Genre

April has a focus on opera and classical music with a special purpose of fund raising for the main performer, Ridge Ponini.  Ridge has been accepted into the National Opera Studio in London.  A portion of ticket sales will go to ridge for his costs while studying.  

The supporting performers are Grace McCarthy Sinclair who will be the opening performer of the first half and accompany Ridge on a few songs. 

Jelsha Eastes, a young Rising Star will open the second half.

Another young Rising Star (name to be confirmed) will perform outside at the cave entrance.​

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Tickets & Pricing

Due to it's location there is limited seating for only 65 people.

The concert is not suitable for children.  It is for age 16 and upwards.

Concert Tickets are $150 each.  This price is due to the unique location and the limited guest numbers. 

Tickets are only sold on our website.  They are not on other ticketing platforms.

Each seat is provided with a fleece blanket to either sit on or wrap over your shoulders.

(Separate to this concert the cave tour into Starburst Cathedral for 1.5 hours is $80 or the shorter tour half way in is $45). 

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Filming Disclosure

The Cave Concerts are professionally filmed for marketing.  As this is a small venue you may end up on film.

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Age Restriction

The concert is not suitable for children.  It is for age 16 and upwards.  If a younger person is in serious training for being a musical performer we will make an exception.  Please email about this.

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Event Start and Finish

You must arrive by 6pm, so you can be guided inside the Milky Way Glowworm Cave to the Starburst Cathedral, 250m inside the cave. This will take time, and there will be a cutoff time for guides to get you into the cave for the last people seating by 6.45pm and the start at 6.55pm.

 

Phones & Photos

There is no cell phone coverage or Wi-Fi underground.  You may take photos (flash turned off) of the cave and glowworms, before or after the concert. 

You are not allowed to take photos or video during the musical part of the event. 

 

Toilets

There are no toilets in the cave.  The toilet is outside the cave which is a 250m walk to get outside plus 50m outside to flushing portaloos.

There are toilets at the office also, which we recommend you use before walking 300m over to the cave entrance.

 

Sensible Clothing & Footwear

The walk to the cave is a gravel path and inside the cave is a concrete path with 30 steeps down into the cave.  You need to wear sensible footwear like sneakers/trainers. DON'T WEAR HIGH HEELS OR PLATFORMS. The cave temperature is about 15 degrees Celsius so you need to wear sensible warm clothing such as a jacket. DON'T WEAR A LIGHT SUMMER DRESS.

 

Food

You should eat dinner before you come.  At our shop/office there is snack food, bags of sweets, chips, chocolate bars, soft drinks.  These you may take into the cave.  Please don't bring other food into the cave.  There will be some light finger food at intermission.

 

Intermission

There will be light finger food snacks and a small non alcoholic drink provided during a 40 minute intermission (this includes time for you to be reseated).

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Your Behaviour

No Smoking, No Vaping, No Alcohol or Intoxicated Behaviour or Disruptive Behaviour.

Doing these things well get you removed from the event. 

 

The Cave Environment & Weather

The event is underground, about 50m vertically and 250m inside the cave.  The stalactites on the cave roof drip very occasionally, some more than others.  It is likely you will get a few drips of water on you.  It is part of the experience.  The cave has a small stream flowing in it.  Normal rain events are not a problem for us, and the event will continue as planned.  This is because we have a flood diverter outside the cave which diverts all storm water away from the cave.  In an extreme rain storm event which last for days we will likely cancel or postpone the event, this is partly due to the stalactites dripping a lot more and the increased sound of waterfalls inside the cave which would reduce the sound quality of the music.

 

Care of the Cave

To help look after the cave it is important that you do not touch the cave walls, formations or glowworms.

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Time & Program - 6pm start.

6:00pm - Guests arrive to the car park at Waipu Caves Farm Park and check in at the office. (Those who have some difficulty walking can park closer to the cave after check in). Guests will be guided in groups of 10-15 people into the Milky Way Glowworm Cave, all the way down to the Starburst Cathedral at 250m inside the cave. On entry into the cave guests are provided a small hand light. 

6:50pm - Once all are seated a welcoming speech by owner, Ian Fox. 

6.55pm - First half Rising Stars (young performers).

7:15pm - First half Main Performer. 

7:45pm - A 40 minute break for a light finger food snack (provided) in the Milky Way Chamber (half way back to the cave entry point), a toilet stop (outside the cave), and a little time to look around the cave. 

8:25pm - Second half Rising Stars (young performers).

8:40pm - Second half Main Performer.  

9:10pm - Closing speech and Thanks.

9:25pm - Guests guided out in groups. On exiting guest hold lights low so they can see glowworms all the way out of the Milky Way Glowworm Cave.

10:00pm - Last of the guest should be exiting around 10:00pm.

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More About the Artists

At the entrance to the cave, (still confirming this person). 

Inside the Starburst Cathedral.

Grace Sinclair, opening performer first half.

Jelsha Eastes, young Rising Star opening second half.

Ridge Ponini, main performer for both halves. 

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Ridge Ponini, a proud Cook Islands tenor holds a Bachelor of Music with Honours from the University of Otago under Judy Bellingham, and a Master of Music in Advanced Opera Study from the University of Waikato as a 2024–25 Resident Artist at Te Pae Kōkako: The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio (TANZOS), studying with Nikki Li Hartliep. In 2023, he was a Studio Artist with New Zealand Opera and attended the New Zealand Opera School for four consecutive years.

Operatic highlights include roles in John Drummond’s War Hero (Opera Otago), chorus in Don Giovanni (Opera Otago), and chorus appearances in semi-staged performances of Fidelio and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (New Zealand Opera). He toured nationally as The Prince in Respighi’s La Bella dormente nel bosco (Sleeping beauty) for Opera in Schools (New Zealand Opera), and portrayed Alexander the Great in Mozart’s Il ré pastore  (Days Bay Opera). 

His awards include the Sydney Eisteddfod International Opera Scholarship, the Iosefa Enari Opera Award (Creative New Zealand), the Spirit of the School Award, the Freemasons Foundation Prize, the Opera School Runner-Up Award, and the University of Waikato Blues Award. Concert highlights include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9  with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang Hymm of praise with Bach Musica Nz Inc, and upcoming soloist performances of Mozart’s Requiem and  Christopher Tin’s The Shiver on the Sky with Wellington Orchestra and Orpheus Choir. 

In 2024, he was invited to audition in person for the Merola Opera Program, and in 2026/27 he will join the National Opera Studio, an opportunity he is excited to undertake as he continues developing on the international stage.

Joining Ridge will be South Korean born pianist Yuan Kim, who moved to New Zealand in 2005 and attended Kamo High School in Whangarei. Yuan has played the piano since the age of six and he completed his Bachelor of Music degree with honours in Piano Performance at the University of Auckland under Natalia Ricci, Qu Yong and Stephen De Pledge. He runs piano studio through Auckland’s finest schools such as Kristin School, Diocesan school for girls, St Cuthbert’s college and St Kentigern college where is also coaches ensemble groups like chamber group and student accompanist club and accompanies the school choirs including Voicemale from Westlake Boys High School.

Juan has performed in numerous concerts and events around New Zealand. In 2024, he did live performance at the TVNZ Breakfast show, performed with NZ Opera for their Tōiri concert and in 2025, performed Toiere concert for Auckland Arts Festival in Auckland Town Hall’s Concert Chamber Hall and toured upper north island for ‘Eternal romance: an operatic affair’. He also recorded the piano soundtrack for the movie ‘Tinā’ which was released in 2025.

Grace McCarthy Sinclair is a Māori and Samoan soprano whose artistry combines technical precision with vibrant stage presence. A Te Paewai Scholar, she earned First Class Honours in Classical Voice at the University of Waikato under Gina Sanders and is pursuing a Research Masters in Music at the University of Auckland. She endeavors to audition for further studies overseas to advance her training in a conservatoire setting.

Grace’s professional experience spans opera, oratorio, and concert work. In 2025, she performed as a chorus member in Verdi’s La traviata with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, toured with the New Zealand Opera School’s Mataio by Rutene Spooner, and contributed to chorus and child chorus management in Puccini’s La Bohème and Jonathon Dove’s Monsters in the Maze. Her concert repertoire includes works by C.P.E. Bach, Dvořák, Mendelssohn, and Poulenc, where she has served as soprano understudy and soloist. At university, she gained stage experience in roles such as Despina (Così fan tutte) and the Niece (Peter Grimes), as well as in works by Mozart, Strauss, Purcell, and Weber.

Recognized in national competitions including PACANZ and the Dame Malvina Major Foundation Waikato Aria, Grace has received multiple awards for academic and artistic excellence. Shaped by her musically gifted Māori/Samoan whānau and her faith in Christ, she is dedicated to honing her God-given gift and aspires to share her voice internationally, celebrating her heritage while contributing to the global operatic tradition.

Jelsha Eastes is a 14-year-old school student near
Whangarei. Despite her young age, Jelsha possesses a rare
combination of multi-instrumental skill and vocal training. Although not from a musical family, Jelsha's extensive musical background goes far beyond her years. She has been studying the guitar, drums, and trumpet for one to seven years, and has played the piano since the age of three.  With years of rigorous vocal training in classical and musical theatre she, recently achieving a Trinity College Grade 6 Vocal exam with High Distinction in 2025. 

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Past Concerts and Performers.

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14th March 2026.

Oscar Curtin, Anabelle Tuato'o, Louie Compter, all Rising Stars.  

Main performers, Maggie Cocco, White Chapel Jak (Bonnie Hurunui, Nathan Boston, Dean Tinning, Elliot Seung II Park) all played inside the Starburst Cathedral.  Carina & Sam deVetter play outside the cave entrance.

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14th February 2026.

Adara Lunjevich, Kaiser Jacoby, Gabriella Uphof, Pomahaka-Tyne (Janet Thomson & Helen Douglas), Charlotte Rockstar Jones, all played inside.  The Minimum Viable Band (Jenine Ababarnel & Nat Torkington) which played outside.

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20th December 2025. The first Cave Concert.

Adara Lunjevich, Kaiser Jacoby, The Mollymawks (Alasdair Baxter & Emily Allen), Tammy D'Ath, all played inside.  

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​​​​​​This page edited by Ian Fox 17th March 2026.​​