Hundreds enjoy National Jazz Festival Tauranga

Dozens of people were treated to Jazz at the Mount as part of the Tauranga National Jazz Festival this weekend. Photo / Mead Norton

Organisers of the National Jazz Festival Tauranga say the whole idea of the event is to "put jazz music on the platform".

And that is exactly what the festival did this weekend as hundreds enjoyed the jazz across Tauranga and Mount Maunganui.

The National Jazz Festival Tauranga held annually at Easter was postponed for the first time this year and was instead held on New Zealand's first-ever Matariki long weekend.

Festival manager Marc Anderson said the festival went "really well".

Anderson said musicians from across the country came to the event.

"It was a real privilege to have the talent in town over a short period of time.

"We feel really blessed to have managed to have 85 live performances downtown over two days. The whole idea is to put jazz music on the platform."

Anderson said the National Youth Jazz Competition had more registrations than ever before.

"That brought a really good vibe."

The concert series at Baycourt Theatre was also well attended, he said.

Anderson was pleased the weather also held off for the Jazz at the Mount in Te Papa o Ngā Manu Porotakataka on Matariki.

"We had a gamble. The alternative was to hold it inside at a couple of bars, so thank you to them, but luckily the rain held off."

The Downtown Carnival on The Strand was also "pumping", he said.

Tara Watson alongside her 2-year-old son Tamarere Baird. Photo / Emma Houpt

Brookfield mum Tara Watson was out enjoying the sunshine and jazz music on Friday with her partner and two-year-old son.

Watson said she and her partner were both musicians so tried to get to the festival every year - but this time around it was nice to have a change of scenery down at the Mount.

"We came to look at the Matariki stuff at the base of Mauao - but we got distracted on the way down. It is nice to be out and see everyone enjoying it."

Mabel Gribble, 8, Molly Lawrence, Margo Gribble (4), Emmie Shorten (3), and Kirsty Shorten parked up on bean bags at the jazz festival. Photo / Mead Norton

Tauranga mums Molly Lawrence and Kirsty Shorten were stoked to be catching up while watching jazz at the "family-friendly event".

Shorten said the festival was excellent and brought "fun vibes" to the Mount.

Pāpāmoa mum Olga Whorskey said it was refreshing to be enjoying jazz music outdoors - particularly after two years of "not much happening" since the start of the pandemic.

"I like it, it should be every Sunday."

Whorskey said she didn't typically tend to play jazz while at home but loved seeing and hearing it live in action.

Olga Whorskey with her 3-year-old daughter Marisa. Photo / Mead Norton

Diners eating lunch outdoors at Roxies Red-Hot Cantina on Saturday were also treated to live jazz taking place in the park.

General manager Sole Pintos said this was the biggest event that had taken place in the space since the restaurant opened in October. She was happy with the turnout, saying the business had been busier than usual because of the festival.

"It is great to have them here. I wish we had this more often," she said.

"I would like to see this space used more often for events like this."

Ōtūmoetai's Eden Exelby said it was his first jazz festival experience, however, he said had been meaning to attend for the past few years.

"It is sick. There is a lot of older demographic but that's cool," said the 20-year-old.