The Feelers to headline Christmas at the Park in Napier

Communicate this to your friends - The Feelers will play a free concert in Hawke's Bay over the Christmas holidays.

The New Zealand band has been confirmed as the lead act for the Cox Partners' Christmas at the Park this year.

The annual Christmas event will be held at Anderson Park, Greenmeadows, Napier on December 14, and their appearance at the free to enter Christmas concert is the only free concert on their tour.

It will also be their only concert in Hawke's Bay on this tour.

The group will perform all their greatest hits spanning the past 20 years.

Event organiser David Trim said he was really pleased to have secured the band for the Hawke's Bay event, now in its 13th year as a professional event.

"The Feelers have so many top 10 hits and it will appease our main audience really well," Trim said.

The Kawekas will warm the crowd for The Feelers and a variety of local talent, including a performance from Colenso High School, will entertain throughout the night.

Carols will be performed by three music groups and Santa is scheduled to pop in during the evening.

Hastings and Napier will still have their traditional Carols in the Park events.

The Hastings event will take place in Cornwall Park and Napier's at the Botanic Gardens.

"There's certainly a place for both the carols by candlelight and Christmas concert style events," Trim said.

Malcolm Cox, Cox Partners real estate director, said he can't wait for the Christmas concert.

"This will be as big as when Dave Dobbyn played at Christmas at the Park here a few years ago. It's really great that our Kiwi iconic musicians come to Hawke's Bay for this event, it has a great reputation in the music scene," Cox said.

Formed in Christchurch in 1993, The Feelers' founding members and schoolboy friends James Reid and Hamish Gee are now joined by Andy Lynch (Zed) and Clinton Harris (Opshop).

Since bursting on to the music scene, the band have amassed a quarter of a million album sales, five multi-platinum albums, five number one albums and seven number one singles.

Having accumulated five NZ Music Awards, three APRA most-played song of the year awards and more radio airplay, The Feelers remain the largest selling NZ band ever signed by Warner Music NZ in its 48-year history.

Their concert is expected to finish at 9.35pm with the usual fireworks display.

Free activities at the event include face painting and a confidence course in the Laser Force Children's Zone.