when does home and away start in nz 2026

Home and Away’s 2026 season is confirmed to return in Australia on Monday 19 January 2026, but an exact New Zealand start date has not been officially announced yet.

What is confirmed so far

• In Australia, Home and Away returns on Seven and 7plus at 7:00 pm on Monday 19 January 2026, kicking off the high‑stakes “party train” derailment aftermath.

• Episode guides listing the 2026 “Season Opener” also confirm 19 January 2026 as the Australian return date.

What that means for NZ

• New Zealand typically airs Home and Away slightly behind the Australian schedule, but the lag and time slot have varied over recent years and are decided by the local broadcaster’s programming team. This means the NZ 2026 return date may differ from 19 January even though Australia resumes then.

• Public schedules and soap news sites currently give only the Australian date for 2026, with no clear, reliable listing yet for when NZ resumes after the summer break.

Best way to find the exact NZ date

• Closer to mid‑January 2026, check the TV listings or schedule page for the NZ channel that carries Home and Away, as they usually publish the exact return time and date there first.

• Fan communities and spoiler sites often pick up the NZ start date as soon as it is posted in official guides, so checking those around the second week of January 2026 can also help.

At this moment, the only solid information is that Australia restarts Home and Away on 19 January 2026; New Zealand’s exact 2026 start date has not yet been clearly and publicly confirmed.