​Accommodation

• All bands should have already secured accommodation. If this is not the case, let us know ASAP if you would like any help.

• Once you have booked, please remember to advise the Liaison Officer of the name of the Hotel/Motel for our database of where bands are staying.

Celtic Bar

• The Marquee on the grounds for the bar will be bigger and better, with more seating and shade.

• Open Friday 10am - 8pm, Saturday 12 noon to 12 midnight. 

Centre City Street March

• It is becoming increasingly difficult to get approvals for street closures within central business districts. We are grateful to have been granted permission to hold the street march on Saturday morning along the same route as was used in 2015. To be able to again display our music and marching in Nelson's CPD is a real bonus.

• The street march course is:  Halifax Street-Trafalgar Street-Bridge Street. See attached map.

Centre City Massed Grade 4 Street March

• The Massed Street March will return marching down lower Trafalgar Street

​​

Event Schedule

Friday: Trafalgar Park

1. Grade 4B and 4A Set's

2. Grade 4B and 4A Medley's

3. Grade 3 Set's

4. Grade 3 Medley's

5. Juvenile

 

Saturday am: Centre City

1. Grade 4B Street March

2. Grade 4A Street March

3. Grade 2 Street March

4. Grade 1 Street March

5. Grade 3 Street March

6. Grade 4 Massed Street March

 

Saturday afternoon: Trafalgar Park

1. Grade 2 Set

2. Grade 2 Medley

3. Grade 1 Set

4. Grade 1 Medley

5. Mace Flourishing eliminations

6. Displays

7. Mace Flourishing Finals

8. Massed Bands & Presentations

 

Saturday evening: Trafalgar Park

• Function in the Celtic Bar with Celtic Rock Band, Ceol River,

 

Sunday am: Rutherford Hotel

• Robert Mathieson presentation, for all bands people

Food

• We will have with a wider range of food vendors this time, including ice-cream. For those wanting to go off-site, there are several great cafe's very close by.

Friday Night Entertainment

• The Celtic Bar on the grounds will remain open until 8 pm.  Irish singer, Keith Nolan will be performing, and many of the food stalls will stay open.  We see this as an easy way to socialize, feed your band, and relax.​

Gate Entry Wrist Bands

• Band entry wrist bands will be used again. Bands will be allocated numbers as per their member numbers, plus 2 for support personnel.

• Additional wrist bands (2 day passes - $15.00) can be purchased by bands who pre-order these need to be ordered by Friday 17th February, by completion of your band questionnaire.  Payment must be made by the 28th February 2017.

• Entry to the contest is by wrist band or purchase of ticket at the gates $10 per day. 

Grounds & Tuning  

• There is lots of room around Tent City for initial tuning & rehearsal.

• The contest arena and final tuning spots are 3-4 minutes walk from Tent City. Bands will cross a foot bridge to gain access.​ NO playing once across the bridge except for in final tuning areas.

• Four allocated tune up areas will be set up behind the main grandstand. Bands have scheduled times slots for their allocated area. Bands will have about 30 minutes tuning time before moving to the Final Tuning Spot.

• No playing past the marked “NO PLAY” line.

Grounds - Practice

• On Thursday Bands are welcome to practice at the grounds during the setting up of the contest.   You can practice on the Park itself where the contest circles are, or in the tuning up areas behind the pavilion (where tent city was last time), or at Tent City or any of the areas over by Tent City by the river. 

• ABSOLUTELY NO PRACTICING IN HATHAWAY CAR-PARK at any time. This is a City Council requirement.  Please be mindful of our locals, and their need for peace and quiet.  

Live-streaming​

• For those overseas or in NZ who can't make it, the contest will be live streamed.

​​

The link for Live Streaming is:       www.pipebanned.com 

​

Parking and Bus Parking

• All band parking will be over the bridge on the other side of the river.  See maps and plans for details. Approach parking area from Paru Paru Road.

• There will be ample bus parking in the new car park in Rutherford Park next to the Trafalgar Center. This is right next to Tent City and the practice areas. 

• Additional public parking is available at the Hathaway Terrace Car-park, adjacent to Trafalgar Park, and disability parking is available in the grounds for mobility card holders. 

 

Merchandise​

• Wide Brimmed Hats

• Caps

• Drink Bottles

• Carry Bags

(See More)​

 

Merchandisers

• There will be merchandisers with stalls on the grounds. 

Massed Bands

• Our survey showed many Bands would like to see this process be more efficient.

• To make for a seamless, fantastic display for the public and less time for bands personnel to be standing around, we have developed a new format for Massed Bands assembly.

• To achieve this, the bar will stop serving anyone in a band uniform, 40 minutes prior to massed bands.  

• Bands must assemble behind the grandstand, in street march order at the announced time.   

• We appreciate co-operation of bands to be ready at the scheduled time. We need to start on schedule and complete the presentations in good time.

Robert Mathieson Sunday Talk for all bands people.

• Robert Mathieson will present a seminar on the Sunday (12th March) after the Nationals.

• The Presentation will commence at 1000hrs and will conclude at 1130hrs at the Rutherford Hotel. 

• Subject: " Pipe Band Medley - Making a Global Statement"

  • Musical Construction 

  • Engaging the Audience 

  • Dynamic Ensemble 

Saturday night function

• The Saturday night function will be in the Celtic Bar on the Grounds, You can move from the final prize giving ceremony, to have a refreshing drink, dinner from one of the many food stalls which will remain open and enjoy the entertainment from a Celtic Rock Band, Ceol River.  

• This event is free.​

Tent City & Set-up

• We have a fabulous new area across a small walking bridge over the Maitai River, for “Tent City”. This includes trees for shade with lots of space for Bands. This new area was not available last time. The entire area has been completely revamped and is a wonderful facility.  This has been a major council upgrade and our event is likely to be the first to utilise these new facilities. 

• Bands who have booked, are welcome to set up their own tents on Thursday. 

• The area will be fenced off, with overnight security on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. This new Tent City area is expected to be ideal for bands as they prepare then move through to the final tune up area. 

• The walk from tent city to the final warm up area is very similar to the distance at Fielding 2016. The grounds where Tent city was located in 2015 will now be the final tune up area.

• Tents must be booked, by completion of your band questionnaire by Friday 17th February!  They are $125 per tent and must then be paid by 28th February. If you wish to erect a tent or marquee you must also inform us of this if you wish it to be withing the bound of "Tent City".  Also, as part of the questionnaire.