--- title: "ASB Waterfront Theatre vs Circa Theatre: Which is more popular in New Zealand?" description: "Is ASB Waterfront Theatre or Circa Theatre more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Theatres and performing arts venues set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/asb-waterfront-theatre-vs-circa-theatre" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # ASB Waterfront Theatre vs Circa Theatre: Which is more popular in New Zealand? Is ASB Waterfront Theatre or Circa Theatre more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Theatres and performing arts venues set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: ASB Waterfront Theatre and Circa Theatre - **Competitive set**: Theatres and performing arts venues - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Oct 2026 - **ASB Waterfront Theatre Share of Search**: 15.2% - **Circa Theatre Share of Search**: 5.7% ## Is ASB Waterfront Theatre or Circa Theatre more popular in search? - In October 2026, ASB Waterfront Theatre had more branded searches than Circa Theatre among theatres and performing arts venues in New Zealand. ASB Waterfront Theatre had about 12,100 branded searches, while Circa Theatre had 4,520. ASB Waterfront Theatre made up 15.2% of all theatres and performing arts venue searches we track, and Circa Theatre accounted for 5.7%. - The lead changed hands 6 times in the 12 months ending October 2026: Circa Theatre took it in December 2025, ASB Waterfront Theatre took it in February 2026, Circa Theatre took it in March 2026, ASB Waterfront Theatre took it in April 2026, Circa Theatre took it in July 2026, ASB Waterfront Theatre took it in August 2026. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, ASB Waterfront Theatre’s share of searches among theatres and performing arts venues in New Zealand moved from 10.6% to 15.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 12.1K. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Circa Theatre’s share of searches among theatres and performing arts venues in New Zealand moved from 7.3% to 5.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.6K to 4.5K. ## Top theatres and performing arts venues in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, ASB Waterfront Theatre was mentioned in three out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. Circa Theatre was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. ASB Waterfront Theatre was listed before Circa Theatre in two out of three answers. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Civic | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | St James Theatre | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | ASB Waterfront Theatre | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Isaac Theatre Royal | 4th | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Circa Theatre | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Q Theatre | 6th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Auckland Live | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 4 | | Auckland Theatre Company | 8th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Court Theatre | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 1 of 4 | | BATS Theatre | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 1 of 4 | ## Every AI answer about theatres and performing arts venues - Asked ChatGPT "Which theatre or venue should I book in New Zealand?": 1. The Civic, 2. ASB Waterfront Theatre, 3. Isaac Theatre Royal, 4. St James Theatre, 5. Auckland Live, 6. Auckland Theatre Company - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best theatres and performing arts venues in New Zealand?": 1. The Civic, 2. ASB Waterfront Theatre, 3. Q Theatre, 4. St James Theatre, 5. Circa Theatre, 6. Isaac Theatre Royal, 7. Auckland Theatre Company - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best theatre or venue in New Zealand for a night out?": 1. St James Theatre, 2. The Civic, 3. Circa Theatre, 4. Isaac Theatre Royal - Searched Google, AI Overview "theatres and performing arts venues": 1. The Civic, 2. Q Theatre, 3. ASB Waterfront Theatre, 4. St James Theatre, 5. BATS Theatre, 6. Isaac Theatre Royal, 7. Court Theatre Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand theatres and performing arts venues in October 2026? - In October 2026, ASB Waterfront Theatre overtook Isaac Theatre Royal and 2 others to rank 2nd among theatres and performing arts venues in New Zealand, with 15.2% of the searches. - In October 2026, Circa Theatre lost share of searches among theatres and performing arts venues in New Zealand, from 7.2% to 5.7%. ## How has branded search for ASB Waterfront Theatre and Circa Theatre changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months? | Month | ASB Waterfront Theatre estimated searches | ASB Waterfront Theatre Share of Search | ASB Waterfront Theatre rank | Circa Theatre estimated searches | Circa Theatre Share of Search | Circa Theatre rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Nov 2025 | 8.1K | 10.6% | 4 | 5.6K | 7.3% | 8 | | Dec 2025 | 4.4K | 8.2% | 7 | 4.5K | 8.5% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | 3.6K | 7% | 6 | 4.5K | 8.8% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | 9.9K | 13.8% | 3 | 5.6K | 7.8% | 7 | | Mar 2026 | 6.6K | 7.5% | 7 | 6.8K | 7.7% | 6 | | Apr 2026 | 8.1K | 10.5% | 4 | 6.8K | 8.8% | 7 | | May 2026 | 6.6K | 7.1% | 6 | 5.5K | 5.9% | 8 | | Jun 2026 | 8.1K | 11.4% | 4 | 4.6K | 6.4% | 8 | | Jul 2026 | 2.9K | 4.4% | 9 | 6.8K | 10.5% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | 9.9K | 12% | 3 | 8.3K | 10.1% | 6 | | Sep 2026 | 8.1K | 10.6% | 5 | 5.5K | 7.2% | 8 | | Oct 2026 | 12.1K | 15.2% | 2 | 4.5K | 5.7% | 8 | ## How are ASB Waterfront Theatre’s and Circa Theatre’s branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using ASB Waterfront Theatre’s and Circa Theatre’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **ASB Waterfront Theatre**: Measured on the search term “asb waterfront theatre”. - **Circa Theatre**: Measured on the search terms “circa theatre”, “circa theatre shows” and “circa theatre tickets”, summed into one figure. - [ASB Waterfront Theatre profile](/demand/nz/brands/asb-waterfront-theatre) - [Circa Theatre profile](/demand/nz/brands/circa-theatre) - [All theatres and performing arts venues in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-performing-arts-venues): The set both shares are measured inside, 10 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is ASB Waterfront Theatre or Circa Theatre more popular in search? In October 2026, ASB Waterfront Theatre had more branded searches than Circa Theatre among theatres and performing arts venues in New Zealand. ASB Waterfront Theatre had about 12,100 branded searches, while Circa Theatre had 4,520. ASB Waterfront Theatre made up 15.2% of all theatres and performing arts venue searches we track, and Circa Theatre accounted for 5.7%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "ASB Waterfront Theatre vs Circa Theatre: Which is more popular in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/asb-waterfront-theatre-vs-circa-theatre This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/asb-waterfront-theatre-vs-circa-theatre. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.