Bringing Sidewalk Karaoke home to Gisborne

SIDEWALK KARAOKE: Te Hamua Nikora is excited to bring the show he hosts home. He will be finding talent at Kaiti Mall on Thursday and Friday, and offering cash prizes. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell

BRINGING Maori Television’s number one entertainment show home is an exciting event for Sidewalk Karaoke creator Bailey Mackey and host Te Hamua Nikora.

The show will be filming at Gisborne’s Kaiti Mall on Thursday and Friday, December 21 and 22, with the opportunity for talented residents to win some 'cold hard cash'.

World famous in New Zealand, Gisborne man Mr Nikora is looking forward to letting the community have their turn on the mic.

“Bailey and I have been getting hit up by the whanau to bring the show to our home town since it started, so it is exciting to finally be able to do so,” he said.

“One of the cool things is how close it is to Christmas, so a lot of Gisborne people are going to be able to sing their way to a bit of Christmas spending money, and to me that’s awesome.”

Mr Mackey, who grew up on the coast, is the mastermind behind the show and already knows what to expect.

“We know the city, we know the people and know there's plenty of talent.”

The show has spent the last two seasons travelling around bigger centres in New Zealand, but Mr Mackey said he wants to change things for the third season.

“We are really keen to get out to the regions, so why not head back home to Gisborne?" he said.

“I'm excited to take the show home, but I'm also a little nervous because I know how much talent there is, so the prize money is probably going to go quickly.

“All they have to do is show up at Kaiti Mall if they want to show us what they've got, it's heaps of fun and who doesn’t like the chance to get some extra cash that will come in handy just before Christmas?”

Prizes start from $100, and the grand prize of $1000 is up for grabs.

The show is a hit for Maori TV. Sidewalk Karaoke hits the streets with Mr Nikora challenging everyday Kiwis to put their talents on the line.

The dates when the Gisborne edition will air are not known, but Mr Mackey expects it to be early on in season three next year.

Ka Pai Kaiti is planning to run two market days to coincide with the show’s visit to Kaiti Mall.

Ka Pai Kaiti manager Tuta Ngarimu said they are fundraising for the Christmas dinner held on Christmas day at Ka Pai Kaiti.