Dunedin's Regent Theatre swaps its old hearing loop for Auracast

The Regent Theatre in Dunedin's Octagon has replaced its ageing hearing loop with Auracast. The 1,617-seat theatre, open since 1928, is the first performing arts venue in the South Island to install it, according to the Otago Daily Times and a release from the theatre published by Arts Access Aotearoa in May.

The theatre's own website now says it plainly: "Auracast™ is now available at the Regent Theatre." Our venue page has the detail.

Who paid, and what went in

The hearing system cost about $15,000. The Regent Theatre Trust paid for it, along with a new LED lighting rig, from the proceeds of its 2026 24 Hour Book Sale. Theatre director Sarah Anderson said the upgrades strengthen "what we can offer both performers and audiences".

The kit is Auri, from Ampetronic and Listen Technologies: one Auri TX2N transmitter and four Auri RX1 receivers, with room to add more. The Bluetooth SIG's profile of the venue lists it as a DIY installation. The theatre's technical team found the system at the ETNZ Connect conference in 2025 and set it up themselves, running two network cables to the house switch: one carries audio to the transmitter, the other links it to the Auri Manager software.

"The installation of our Auracast system was super simple," assistant technical manager Ben Caton told the SIG.

Two channels, one usually on

The TX2N can send two streams at once. According to the SIG profile, the Regent normally runs a single stereo broadcast for assistive listening, and switches to two separate broadcasts in software when a performance needs audio description. The theatre's accessibility page does not yet mention audio-described performances, so check with the box office before booking for one.

How to join

If you have Auracast hearing aids, a cochlear implant processor or earbuds, connect them to your phone as usual, take your seat, then join the broadcast from your device's hearing app or your phone's Bluetooth settings. Front-of-house staff can help if you are not sure your device is compatible. Our step-by-step guide covers the exact taps for each platform.

If you have none of that, the box office lends a limited number of receivers. One type works with any headphones that have a 3.5 mm plug. You need to leave a driver's licence or passport at the box office for the duration of the show.

If your hearing aid only has a telecoil

Many hearing aids in use have a telecoil but no Auracast, and those are the people an old loop served. The Regent has not left them out: it also lends a loop receiver. Switch your hearing aid to its T-coil setting, wear the loop receiver, and the sound reaches you the same way the old loop did. Receivers are limited, so ask when you book or arrive early.

If you are not sure what your hearing aid supports, our guides to hearing aids with Auracast and Auracast versus hearing loops explain the difference.

Why it matters

As the ODT noted, most modern New Zealand theatres offer personal receivers or wearable neck loops connected to the house sound system. The Regent's change means anyone with modern earbuds or hearing aids can listen from any seat without collecting anything, while the borrowed receivers keep everyone else covered. For a theatre funded partly by a book sale, $15,000 and an in-house install is a useful benchmark for other heritage venues weighing the same move.