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New Zealand Pipe Band Championships
Fri
12 Mar
-
Sat
13 Mar
2027
The pipes are calling! Around 60 national and international pipe bands will converge on Tauranga in March 2027 to compete for national titles.
A splendid street parade through the CBD on Saturday morning will be a showy tartan display with maces tossed in the air to the sound of the pipes and drums. At Tauranga Domain, the bands will enter the competition circle playing the more formal marches-strathspeys-reels (MSR), and later, more innovative medleys. Around 12 juvenile bands will also be competing - all players aged under 18.
Rounding out the competitions will be a mace flourishing event with Drum Majors leading their band, giving instructions with the mace while twirling and tossing the staff high in the air - a thrilling spectacle. Finally all 60 or so bands will perform in the massed bands finale where all the bands play together as one!
The band contest runs over 2 days - Friday March 12 and Saturday March 13.
On the grounds you can enter Clan Avenue to find out more about the Scottish heritage of the clans and their activities in New Zealand up to today. Various vendors will also be on site for you to browse their Scottish wares.
There may even be the opportunity to have a go at the pipes or drums!
Event Dates
March 12, 2027
at
9:00 am
March 13, 2027
at
9:00 am
Workshop
Join our hands-on Popping Boba workshop. You’ll learn the science behind these juicy flavour bursts and create your own colourful popping pearls from scratch. Experiment with flavours, get creative with colours, and discover how to turn simple ingredients into something seriously cool. Best of all, you’ll get to take your homemade boba home (if you don’t eat it first!). Registrations essential.
7 Jul
Workshop
Hawkins Community Open Day - Tauranga High and District Court Project Rā Tuwhera a Hapori - Te Koti Matua Me Te Koti A-Rohe O Tauranga The community is invited to a special open day at the Tauranga High and District Court construction site, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at one of the region’s major public projects.
14 Aug
Talk / lecture
Inachord Singers Tauranga are proud to invite you to a warm, community‑minded afternoon with Southland soprano treasure Deborah Wai Kapohe. Deborah will share stories from her extensive and varied professional career — a life lived across opera, contemporary Māori music, musical theatre, songwriting, guitar performance, arts leadership, and law. Bring a cushion (though seats provided!) and your favourite mug to maximise feeling at home, and settle into a relaxed, family‑friendly atmosphere as she opens the door to her creative world with humour, insight, and generosity. Following an intensive workshop the day prior, the afternoon will also feature a small selection of songs from both Deborah Wai Kapohe and Inachord Singers Tauranga, offering a gentle touch of live music to complement the storytelling. With afternoon tea available, free tickets for children under twelve and a portion of proceeds supporting local charities, this gathering promises inspiration, wonder, beauty, and through fellowship, genuine community spirit. Come for the stories, stay for the songs, leave with connection.
23 Aug
