New Zealand's Thespian of Burlesque

Kiki Kisses

An international award-winning burlesque performer, pinup, designer, and New Zealand Accredited Wedding Celebrant.

Kiki Kisses is one of NZ's most well-known burlesque and pinup artists with the accolades to match. She's a shimmy shakin' pin-up vixen and our reining Duchess of NZ Burlesque.

She's a headlining, head-turning, hysterical delight!

About

Services

Burlesque Performer

Award winning performer since 2014. Read more about current acts and private bookings

Red Indie Rock Party Night Promotion Facebook Cover_edited.jpg

Burlesque & Pinup Classes

Available to teach parties, hens dos and workshops

NZ Wedding Celebrant

NZ Registerd Celebrant since 2020. Read more about past couples and contact form

Design & Marketing

10+ years working in marketing, design and film. Available for freelance.

Glamour is her aesthetic, silliness her secret weapon, and her presence - unforgettable.

Book a Burlesque Dancer

Kunty Couture

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The Velvet Haven

Join our Burlesque Courses in Auckland or Wellington

INSTAGRAM

Portfolio

kikikissesnz

839 posts

5.8K followers

2K following

🤡NZ's Thespian of Burlesque💃
💒Wedding Celebrant 💋
👩‍🏫Head Teacher @thevelvethaven
✨️Co-creator of @velvetloungenz

http://www.kikikisses.net

Officially a sleepy showgirl 🛌💋💃

For about 10years I assumed I was just stressed, overcommiting, not doing enough self-care, not drinking enough water, or simply burnout.

Turns out my brain is just hardwired differently nd finally ive been diagnosed with Narcolepsy type 2

Which is probably kinda hilarious to hear cause onstage I have the energy of a rhinestoned labrador ✨️🤸‍♀️

For anyone who's worked with me backstage, this diagnosis may explain the emotional support Red Bulls for every show too ☕️

The good news is that now I finally have an explanation and treatment plan. The better news is that I may need to create a burlesque act about it....

Working title:Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go... to bed.

✨ Kiki - now serving sass, stupidity and significant levels of eepy. ✨

😈This weekend is the final ever Devil's Ballroom😈

Ten years of beautiful chaos, and one last show with an incredible lineup of talent from across Aotearoa 💋
Then it's straight to @47affair to support my favourite DJs from the dance floor 🖤

Only a few tickets left... nocturnesanctum.com

Stepping into darkness 😈🔥 times two

Now shaking cake for birthdays everywhere 🎂✨️

Thank you again to @church.club for allowing this clown to make an absolute mess of your 5th Birthday 🥳✨️

Book me for your next birthday surprise 🤪🤸‍♀️
Www.kikikisses.net

Shout out to @dandaninoodles for the video 📹

POV: You’re over 30, accomplished, paying bills, and your boss introduces you as ‘one of the girls'

Im a grown ass woman.
I have a career, opinions, and a giant dress up closest, damn nabbit

The Devil's Ballroom has always felt like stepping through a portal.....Where every unconventional soul finds somewhere to belong ✨😈

In September I'll be taking the stage as we celebrate the last ever Devil's Ballroom and its incredible 10-year legacy 📆

What an honour it is to be part of the final chapter of a night that has highlighted beautifully bizarre artistry.

One last dance with the demons. See you in the ballroom. 🥀

Www.nocturnesanctum.com for tickets 🎟

This will sell out 👀

What a journey. ✨

@velvetloungenz was built by so many talented, generous, passionate people, and there simply aren't enough words to express how grateful I am.

From our phenomenal musicians, dancers, creatives, crew, volunteers, and the incredible Auckland Live team, to every friend, family member, and audience member who joined us—you each helped make this show what it was.

Live theatre is a team sport. Every rehearsal, every late night, every costume repair, every lighting cue, every note played, every cheer from the audience... it all mattered.

Thank you for believing in this show, for supporting local burlesque and cabaret, and for sharing this experience with us.

Until the next curtain call ✨️❤️ Which doesn't seem to be far away 👀

📸 @angie_lc

Fun fact: my stage name came from this song 🎵

Kiki was already a nickname. A little camp, a little chaos, a lot of dancing, and absolutely no taking yourself too seriously 🤡

What I love most about queer spaces isn't just the party. It's the connection. The feeling of finding your people. The joy of being completely yourself and celebrating everyone else doing the same 🕺

So if you've ever wondered what I'm trying to bring to the stage, it's that. Community, connection, queer joy, and the kind of energy that makes strangers feel like friends by the end of the night.

🪩✨🏳️‍🌈
📸@robbiecancian.photographer

Have you ever watched a performer absolutely bring the house down with a single stupid facial expression?

Comedy is one of the most powerful tools a performer can have, and next term @thevelvethaven we're diving headfirst into that metophoric cream pie 🤡

6 way of incorperating belly laughs and how to use them in burlesque, cabaret, dance, drag, and variety performance. Alongside some serious assel shaking 🍑

⚠️ Only 2 spots remaining

Come be glamorous. Come be ridiculous. Come discover that those two things aren't mutually exclusive

Www.thevelvethaven.com

🎥@lisajuggler

Felt cute, might finally admit I'm not actually made of sheer determination later 🙃

I've spent the last three weeks doing what performers do best: convincing myself that the show must go on 🤸‍♀️

Meanwhile, my disco snail has been holding up cue cards that say "Please slow down" 🐌

This weekend I found myself tangled up in anxiety, feeling guilty for not being productive and stressing about all the things I wasn't getting done

So today I'm and going to the doctor.
Anyone who knows me knows this isn't a casual dislike. They're pretty much my own personal horror experience. The kind that has me sweating, shaking, and planning my escape route.

But I shall be rewarded tonight with one last night at The Velvet Haven for Term 2 with Fans and Solo Development. Then it's lashes off, phone down, and some serious indoor time....Or at least I'll try

You'd notice them. They're the hardest-working supporting cast I've ever had 🍈🤪🍈

8 years ago this act was a little love letter to all the things that made me fall in love with performing in the first place: oversized characters, oversized makeup, jazz hands, questionable life choices, and an unwavering commitment to being just a little bit ridiculous 🤡

One thing remains true to this day... the clown never leaves...it just learns better choreo

And before anyone asks... yes, that's my real hair. I was young, free, and apparently being sponsored by conditioner 🤡

I went home with protein shake and bruises on my inner thighs 😂 #iykyk

Thank you again to Waiheke Island and @artworkstheatre for having me ❤️💜❤️

Was such a blast catching up with old friends and making some talented and crazy new ones 🤪😍

Live art baby!

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First photo by Brenna Gotje

Who's your fave Pokémon? ⚡️⚡️⚡️

📸 @allthestuffnz

If life gives you lemons… confuse everyone and make orange juice 🍊

Recently I sat around my wifeys dinner table, exchanging what we were grateful for and it made me realise how rarely I practice gratitude consciously, even in a life that’s become so full of sparkling moments.

This photo is now over 10 years old, and that girl really has no idea just how much love, glitter and life has waiting for her. ✨

- Im grateful for slow dinners that turn into soul conversations.
- Im grateful for friends who make honesty feel safe.
Im grateful for laughter that arrives at the exact right moment.
- Im grateful for old photos that remind me how far Ive come.
- Im grateful for a younger version of me who kept going.
- and im grateful for orange slices, candlelight, and the people who feel like sunlight 🍊☀️

Me? Some kind of power-suited cabaret gremlin pretending to have it all together? 🎭🖤

Lately I’ve been sending voice notes across the world to one of my favourite humans, unpacking the very unglamorous truth behind the scenes: producing three shows in two months is equal parts dream, chaos, spreadsheets, adrenaline, tears, and thinking, yeap 3 V drinks today is healthy 🫠

May: Waiheke Island! In collab with @artworkstheatre and some very talented local artists!

June: @thevelvethaven Student Showcase! 2 night affair! This is gonna be a wild show (in the best ways possible!)

July: @velvetloungenz at Auckland Cabaret Festival… and the biggest show of my career thus far!

I’m learning that growth rarely arrives looking polished. Sometimes it arrives wearing sweats, running on four hours sleep, voice-noting your friends at midnight, blistered hands and doing it anyway. Love you @ms_ruby_rebel_ 🤪

If im a little MIA - this is why ✨🤸‍♀️✨️

📸 @studio15nz

Waiheke Island - Im jetting over on the 22nd May!

The Kiki Kisses Cabaret with @artworkstheatre is here!

And the show includes some deliciously talented (and gorgeous) local cast members

Circus, singing, drag, theatre and i hear a bit of male striptease 😏

I myself am also bringing three acts over to perform on this iconic waiheke stage!

Tickets $35 from artworkstheatre.org.nz

Come catch the ferry with me ⛴️🤪

🎥 @robin_kerr ❤️😘

You wanted more? Roll the tape ��🎥🫡
Painters tape...

🎥@davidkang_nz

Landlord special 🎨
A fresh coat of paint fixes everything… right? 🤪

I’ve been a little absent from this space, taking a break to reset my bandwidth. However, I now feel ready to get stuck in once more, reframed 🖼

Stunning photos by @davidkang_nz
Making me feel like a piece of art

And yes… for anyone wondering… the clean-up was less renaissance masterpiece and more Jackson Pollock crime scene 😅

This act scared me… which is exactly why I had to do it 😈

This revelation has been brewing for a while. Stepping into this new presence. Powerful, commanding, unapologetic. I’ve always held many versions of myself… but bringing this one to the stage? Truly terrifying

There’s something delicious about leaning into darker impulses and I’m so excited to be teaching K!nK this block at @thevelvethaven
Guiding others through power, consent, storytelling, and the art of controlled intensity 💥

Captured through @robin_kerr magic lens — he always knows how to bottle the essence of an act and let it breathe on screen. I’m endlessly grateful

Consider this your formal warning… more is coming... 🖤

🌈✨🔥 Day 8 of #RAINBOWPINUP2026 — the FINAL day — and we’re going full-spectrum RAINBOW 🔥✨🌈

Ten years. Ten glorious, glitter-soaked, heart-wide-open years 🥹❤️

The Rainbow flag represents the full diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community — every colour, every identity, every beautifully complicated story existing side by side 🌈

I’ve personally never felt like I fit in a box. Not straight enough for some spaces. Not queer enough for others. Too femme. Too burlesque. Too much. And yet... here I am

Identifying as queer, for me, has been less about a label and more about liberation. About allowing myself to exist in the blur. In the blend. In the bold, messy magic of it all.

This flag — this community — includes our trans whānau. It includes our POC. Non binary and intersex. It includes the soft, the fierce, the questioning, the certain, the fluid, the fabulous.

And while this is the final Rainbow Pinup, it is not the end of showing up.

I’ll continue to volunteer at FLINTA events.
I’ll celebrate Pride every day
I’ll keep supporting queer art through cabaret, stage lights and storytelling 🎭

Because visibility doesn’t retire. It evolves.

To everyone who has worn the colours, donated, shared, posed, hyped, encouraged, or quietly watched for the past decade — thank you. You helped turn a cheeky little idea into a decade-long love letter to community 💌💌💌

For the last time, we’re raising funds for @rainbowyouth because rainbow youth deserve safe spaces, fierce advocacy, and to grow up knowing they aren't alone.

Thank you for ten years of colour 🥹🌈❤️

📸@harndenafterdark
💅@blossomnails4u

🩷🌈🎩 Day 7 of #RAINBOWPINUP2026 is tickled PINK and pulling magic out of a hat 🎩🩷

Pink on the Pride flag represents SEX — the bold, body-positive reclamation of pleasure, autonomy, and loving who we are without shame.

Today...serving magician realness. Hocus POKE-us 🤪✨

Pink is power. Power in supporting our rainbow whānau and standing firmly for trans rights. Trans rights are human rights. 🏳️‍⚧️

We’re continuing to raise funds for @rainbowyouth , who provide vital advocacy, education, and safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth across Aotearoa — including our precious trans and gender diverse 💕

Magic is real.
It looks like community.
So pop the confetti.
Stay pretty in pink — and power 💕

🔗 Donation link in bio — let’s make Day 7 magenta-nificent. 🩷🌈

#RainbowPinup2026 #TransRightsAreHumanRights #SupportRainbowYouth

📸@harndenafterdark

💜🌈👠 Day 6 of #RAINBOWPINUP2026 is looking absolutely PURR-PLE 👠💜

Purple on the Pride flag symbolises SPIRIT — that sparkly, untouchable, unapologetic essence that makes you, you ✨️

Purple has range. It’s royal. It’s rebellious. It’s a little extra. It goes with everything — including absolutely nothing but audacity 🤪💋

The grape-est expression of self 🍇

Rainbow Pinup has always been about showing up in full colour and full spirit — and as we near the end of our final year, we’re still raising funds for @rainbowyouth 🌈 Supporting rainbow youth across Aotearoa with safe spaces, advocacy, education, and hope.

Spirit grows when it’s supported 👑
Serve that spirit.

🔗 Donation link in bio — let’s make Day 6 plum-believable 💜🌈

#RainbowPinup2026 #SupportRainbowYouth

📸@harndenafterdark

💙🌈🥂 Day 5 of #RAINBOWPINUP2026 is feeling BLUE — but make it glamorous. 💙✨

Blue on the Pride flag symbolises HARMONY — calm waters, steady hearts, and love that flows true🌹

Is this The Bachelor?
Will you accept this rosé? 🥂🤪

We’re raising funds for @rainbowyouth supporting LGBTQIA+ youth across Aotearoa with safe spaces and hope.
We raise a glass (or a rose) to community 🌹🍷

Stay cool.
Stay true.
Stay hue you.

🔗 Donation link in bio — let’s make waves 🌊

#RainbowPinup2026 #SupportRainbowYouth 💙🌈

📸@harndenafterdark

💚🌈✨ Day 4 of #RAINBOWPINUP2026 — we’re halfway and glowing in GREEN ✨💚

Green on the Pride flag symbolises NATURE — growth, renewal, resilience. The steady reminder that even after everything, we keep growing.

Halfway through this final Rainbow Pinup feels… poetic. 🌿

And yes — you’ve seen this costume before. She’s had her moment (and then some). But that’s growth — we revisit who we’ve been and see how far we’ve come.

And this headpiece? Crafted by @frantasy_island

Rainbow Pinup has always been about joyful visibility — about showing up in full colour and full self. And as we mark the halfway point, we’re still raising funds for @rainbowyouth supporting rainbow youth across Aotearoa.

Growth happens in community.
And every young person deserves room to bloom.

🔗 Donation link in bio — let’s make Day 4 lush and legendary.

#GreenAndGrowing #RainbowPinup2026 #NatureInFullColor #SupportRainbowYouth 💚🌈

📸@harndenafterdark

💛🌈✨ Day 3 of #RAINBOWPINUP2026 is shining in YELLOW — and today we’re basking in the glow. ✨💛

Yellow on the Pride flag symbolises SUNLIGHT — clarity, warmth, truth, and the courage to stand fully illuminated.

Today feels powerful. Wrapped in yellow, looking into the mirror, seeing not just a reflection — but recognition. Growth. Joy. Survival. Radiance. ☀️

Whether you’re draped in gold, glowing in lemon, or carrying a quiet inner brightness — this is your reminder that your light is not too much. It is necessary.

Rainbow Pinup is about visibility and in this final year, that visibility feels especially meaningful. We’re continuing to raise funds for @rainbowyouth because every young person deserves to see themselves reflected in sunlight.

So stand in the glow. Feel warmth ☀️
Reflect your brilliance back at the world.

🔗 Donation link in bio — let’s make Day 3 beautifully bright.

#ShineInYellow #RainbowPinup2026 #SunlightAndSelfLove #SupportRainbowYouth 💛🌈

📸 @harndenafterdark
Boa by @kingsizeboa

🧡🌈💋 Day 2 of #RAINBOWPINUP2026 is splashing in ORANGE 🦆🧡

Orange on the Pride flag symbolises HEALING — the warmth after the storm, the glow of community, the soft power of joy.

Whether you’re glowing in tangerine, serving burnt orange realness, or just adding a pop of citrus confidence — you’re part of the magic. ✨

As always, we’re raising funds for @rainbowyouth supporting youth across Aotearoa with safe spaces, advocacy, education, and hope.

Healing happens in community.
Healing happens when we’re seen.
Healing happens when we show up for each other.

So fluff those feathers with silly goose (or duck) energy 🤪🦆

🔗 Donation link in bio — let’s make Day 2 deliciously bright.

#Orange #RainbowPinup2026 #SupportRainbowYouth 🧡🌈

📸@harndenafterdark

🌈❤️💄 Day 1 of #RAINBOWPINUP2026 is HERE — and we’re starting, as tradition demands… in RED 💄❤️

Red on the Pride flag symbolises LIFE — bold, beating, passionate life ❤️
Whether you’re drenched in crimson, glowing in cherry gloss, or just adding a flash of scarlet sass — this is your reminder to live vividly. ✨

Rainbow Pinup is our joyful way of turning everyday life into a celebration of visibility and support for our LGBTQIA+ whānau. And in 2026, that visibility still matters ❤️

Raising funds for @rainbowyouth who provide safe spaces, advocacy, education, and life-changing support for young people across Aotearoa. Your donation helps ensure they know they are seen, valued, and never alone.

So paint the town red.
Tag your looks.
Share the love.

🔗 Donation link in bio — let’s make Day 1 powerful.

#RedHotAndRainbow #RainbowPinup2026 #LifeInFullColor #SupportRainbowYouth 🌈

📸@harndenafterdark

Tomorrow it starts 🌈 #RAINBOWPINUP

And this one feels different.

This is the 10th — and final — Rainbow Pinup 🌈
Ten years of colour. Ten years of community. Ten years of showing up, dressing up, and standing up for our rainbow whānau ❤️

What started as a silly, cheeky excuse to wear outrageous amounts of colour in my bedroom became something so much bigger. A reminder visibility still matters

Closing out this chapter feels tender… but also deeply right

To honour our final year, I did something special. I collaborated with an incredible local queer photographer to create a shoot that captures the heart of Rainbow Pinup — the glamour, the softness, the strength. I cannot WAIT to share these images with you over the coming days. They feel like a love letter 💌

As always, we’ll be raising funds for Rainbow Youth Aotearoa — because while this may be our last Rainbow Pinup, the need for safe spaces, advocacy, and support for rainbow youth in Aotearoa continues.

If you’ve ever worn the colours.
If you’ve ever donated.
If you’ve ever shared a post.
If you’ve ever felt seen because of this little tradition…

Thank you. Truly. 🥹

Let’s make this final Rainbow Pinup the most heartfelt, vibrant, and meaningful one yet.

See you tomorrow.
Bring the colour. Bring the love. 🌈

#Rainbowpinup2026 starts this Saturday 🌈

So… what is Rainbow Pinup?

Rainbow Pinup is a joyful celebration of visibility and support for the LGBTQIA+ community — and it all kicks off this weekend in its 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY 🥳❤️🌈

8 days of beautiful coloured outfits, turning everyday life into a vibrant statement: you are seen, you matter, and you’re supported.
Whether you go all-out with full glam and accessories or keep it simple with a splash of colour, it all counts.

Proudly fundraising for @rainbowyouth , who do life-changing work supporting young LGBTQIA+ people across Aotearoa — creating safe spaces, offering advocacy and education, and making sure no rainbow young person feels alone.

It’s about community.
It’s about showing up.
It’s about making sure rainbow youth have the support they deserve — now and into the future.

Starts Saturday 🌈
Join in, donate, or simply just share the love

#Rainbowpinup

✨ NEW COURSE: DRAGLESQUE ✨
Where burlesque meets drag and performance gets deliciously bold ❤️

🌈Starts in 3 weeks at @thevelvethaven

For the past 12 years of my career, I’ve lived in the delicious overlap of these two artforms. I’ve performed in drag shows, shared stages with queer icons, and even managed @caluzzicabaret 😅 So my roots run pretty deep.

Drag and burlesque have always spoken the same language to me… just with different accents
They both play with fantasy, power, humour, glamour — and most importantly, visibility.

In Draglesque, we’ll explore:
💋 The shared DNA of drag & burlesque
👠 Playing with masculinity, femininity, and everything in between
🎤 Lip-syncing as a performance tool (not just mouthing words, but telling stories)

📩New to burlesque, or have a question? Drop me a DM!

Let’s get theatrical. Let’s feel powerful. Let’s get draglesquey ✨

Www.thevelvethaven.com/classes

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