Justin Bieber surprise performance in New Zealand hid an unusual twist
A red baby grand piano inside a historic hotel bar caught the pop star's attention, but the set he played was far from a typical concert.
Justin Bieber gave diners an unexpected musical treat on Thursday afternoon, October 15, when he sat down at a baby grand piano inside the Duke of Marlborough Hotel restaurant in Russell, in the Far North of New Zealand. The Canadian pop star arrived with seven companions for drinks and food before spotting the instrument in the corner of the room, according to co-owner Anton Haagh in an interview with RNZ and the Otago Daily Times.
Haagh explained that Bieber was simply looking for a quiet meal when the venue’s red baby grand caught his eye. “He was just after a few beers and some snacks, and he saw our red piano, and it’s a baby grand piano in the corner, and he just jumped on and started knocking out a few tunes,” Haagh said.
What happened at the piano
While rumors quickly spread online describing the stop as an acoustic concert, Haagh clarified that the singer stuck strictly to the keys and did not sing a word. “It was a lot of modern music, but he wasn’t singing, he was just playing the piano,” Haagh told RNZ. Bieber did not play any songs from his own catalog, including his 2025 albums SWAG and SWAG II, and the exact setlist of modern tracks remains unknown.
Bieber also kept the piano lid raised, shielding his face from most of the roughly 50 diners inside the room. “They’d gone to the toilet. As they walked past, they sort of went, ‘Whoa,’ turned around and went, ‘Whoa.’ And so, because he had this screen up, you couldn’t really see his face from inside the bar,” Haagh recalled. In the end, only four or five patrons actually recognized the singer.
Beers, seafood and keeping calm
The group ordered beers, cocktails, and local seafood dishes, including oysters and ika mata. Haagh enlisted his own family to help serve the high-profile table, giving his daughter an unforgettable shift. “My daughter… we asked her to be the waitress, so she was absolutely fizzing, but managed to keep it together quite well,” Haagh said.
Restaurant staff worked quietly to protect the singer’s privacy, asking the few patrons who recognized him to stay calm. Haagh recounted advising diners: “Hey, you can either spoil the moment and take photos and make a scene, or why don’t you just sit down and just relax and enjoy it?” Reflecting on the afternoon, the co-owner added, “It was really surreal sitting there.”
Exploring the outdoors
Bieber was not an overnight guest at the hotel. His group finished their meal and departed before a crowd of 30 to 40 people gathered outside once word of his appearance circulated through town.
The singer later shared highlights from his travels on Instagram, posting photos of himself seated at the hotel’s red piano alongside images of clay target shooting, fishing, and riding in a helicopter, as reported by 1News. Bieber summed up the experience with a brief caption: “New Zealand. What a trip.”
Earlier in the week, local outlets reported that Bieber was spotted playing golf at Tara Iti Golf Club and Te Arai Links in Mangawhai. The visit marks a relaxed return to the country where Bieber last performed in 2017 during his Purpose World Tour at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, following the cancellation of his rescheduled Justice World Tour dates in 2023.
