Tool kicked off their New Zealand leg with two Auckland shows at Spark Arena, bringing a set of rarely played deep cuts and notable returns for the first time since the late 1990s and early 2000s.

During the Auckland dates, the band performed Disposition and H. for the first time since 2002 and Crawl Away for the first time since 1998, alongside the live debut of the Fear Inoculum closer Mockingbeat.

The November 23 show in Auckland was part of a broader 2025 Oceania run, with Spark Arena marking Tool’s return to New Zealand post-pandemic.

Fan-filmed footage from the Auckland performances circulated despite the band’s no-filming policy, underscoring ongoing fan engagement.

Band members describe their process as operating on their own terms, acknowledging strong fan demand for new material while emphasizing Tool’s experimental approach.

In interviews, frontman Maynard James Keenan and guitarist Adam Jones discussed the slow, non-linear path to releasing new material, reinforcing that writing continues on their own terms.

Coverage of Tool’s Auckland shows appeared in outlets like NME, with links to related Tool and live-performance coverage.

Setlists and fan-shot videos for the two Auckland nights are cataloged on Setlist.fm, providing detailed track-by-track listings for each evening.

Maynard James Keenan revealed he had COVID during the 2020 visit without realizing it, and Adam Jones indicated ongoing writing activity with potential new directions on the horizon.

Tool opened the festival’s final Auckland night, with links to video performances and exclusive photos captured during the show.

The band is slated for Sonic Temple festival in Ohio in 2026, with additional tour dates linked on their official site.

During the Auckland show, Danny Carey joined Mastodon’s Brann Dailor, Slipknot’s Eloy Casagrande, and Gojira’s Mario Duplantier for a drum circle during Mastodon’s cover of Supernaut, and Carey and Jones also participated in a Billy Corgan–fronted supergroup with Tom Morello, KK Downing, and Rudy Sarzo.

Both Auckland nights featured a Black Sabbath cover, Hand of Doom, following a summer appearance at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell event.

Observers note Tool’s aging lineup and the band’s slower pace for new material, with past critiques of limited setlist variety influencing live expectations.