Key Takeaways
- The countdown to midnight on New Year’s Eve will feature a fireworks display and the ringing of the Veronica Bell by Mayor Richard McGrath
- There will be two fireworks displays, one at 9:45pm for families and another at midnight, with a new twist
- Local rising star Ella Pollett and Auckland covers band White Chapel Jak will perform live
- The Fiesta of Lights at Tomoana Showgrounds in Hastings will feature Napier covers veterans Pulse and an earlybird fireworks display
- Police will be focusing on alcohol offence prevention and safety on the roads in Mahia
Introduction to New Year’s Eve Celebrations
The New Year’s Eve celebrations in Hawke’s Bay are set to be an exciting and entertaining event, with a range of activities and performances planned for the night. The countdown to midnight will be a highlight of the evening, featuring a fireworks display and the ringing of the Veronica Bell by Mayor Richard McGrath. This will be the second of two fireworks displays on the night, with the first taking place at 9:45pm for families who want to get their children home to bed early. The accompanying musical arrangement for the fireworks displays can be accessed on phones by downloading the Pyrocast app and entering the codes DXTY for the Kids Show and ZPZ2 for the midnight display.
Live Musical Entertainment
The live musical entertainment for the night will feature a range of local talent, including rising star Ella Pollett, whose original song "Losing My Mind" was released in October and reached number one on the Hot 20 Aotearoa New Zealand-artists Singles List. Ella’s song also reached number 26 on the Hot 40 Singles chart for all singles sales in New Zealand in November. Auckland covers band White Chapel Jak will also be performing, having first appeared on the night as emerging talent in 2019 and featuring again two years ago. They are rated by Murphy as possibly the best covers band in New Zealand at present. Other local talent performing on the night will include Devils Elbow, Sophie Jean Dance Company, and show newcomers Urban Dukes, who will play a range of popular covers.
Fiesta of Lights in Hastings
The general public marking of New Year’s Eve in Hastings will focus on the Fiesta of Lights at Tomoana Showgrounds, featuring Napier covers veterans Pulse and their selection of hits from 8:30pm. There will also be an earlybird fireworks display for children starting at 9:45pm. The Fiesta of Lights is an institution that dates back to the start of the millennium and runs nightly for more than three weeks, closing at 11pm on New Year’s Eve. Promoter Te Rangi Huata expects around 3,000 people to attend, including children in pyjamas and dressing gowns, who will generally leave as soon as the fireworks display is over. The fiesta has become a popular event in Hastings, with many families attending each year to enjoy the music, food, and fireworks.
Mahia’s New Year’s Eve Celebrations
In contrast to the festivities in Hastings, Mahia will have a more low-key celebration, with a focus on safety and alcohol offence prevention. Northern Hawke’s Bay hotspot Mahia has a significant team of police drafted in to support sole-charge local constable Chad Prentice, who has been policing the Christmas and New Year’s Eve period in the area for 14 years. Prentice says that many of the campers who swelled the crowds on the peninsula for Christmas Day have packed up and headed elsewhere, including the three-day Rhythm & Vines festival, which started near Gisborne on Monday. Like most beach areas, Mahia has a midsummer ban on alcohol in public areas, while its lone local pub will close at 9pm on New Year’s Eve. The police will be working to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable night, and that the roads are safe for all users.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Hawke’s Bay are set to be an exciting and entertaining event, with a range of activities and performances planned for the night. From the countdown to midnight and the fireworks displays, to the live musical entertainment and the Fiesta of Lights in Hastings, there is something for everyone to enjoy. The focus on safety and alcohol offence prevention in Mahia is also an important aspect of the celebrations, and the police will be working hard to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable night. With a range of local talent performing and a fun and festive atmosphere, the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Hawke’s Bay are not to be missed.
