New record: Entries for piping National Championships in Hawke's Bay blow up

A pipe band marching at Napier's Christmas Parade. Photo / Supplied

A record number of pipers piping will be heard this March with Hawke's Bay set to host the National Pipe Band Championships.

Organisers of the championships are preparing for the highest ever total of bands to compete at Mitre10 Sports Park on March 19 and 20 - despite the withdrawal of entries from Australia.

NPBC organising committee chairman Kerry Marshall said 47 bands from around New Zealand have confirmed their attendance.

"We're expecting about 1500 band members and probably the same number of supporters and family that come with them," he said.

"Originally there were six bands entered from Australia and they've have just been gradually pulling out as the borders didn't open."

Marshall said this is a bit of a disappointment because a number of bands coming from Australia were school ones.

"We were keen to have them competing against the local school bands too," he said.

Some of Hawke's Bay's young pipers and drummers performing at the Napier Christmas parade. Photo / Supplied

Two Hawke's Bay bands will also competing: The Hawke's Bay Caledonian Band from Hastings and the Lindisfarne College School Band.

The champion band in each grade will be decided over two music events while all bands will take part in the stirring street march.

The street march will be held in Napier on the Friday and with involve bands marching from Dalton St, along Tennyson St and finishing in Hastings St, Marshall said.

"We know the community enjoy watching the bands marching and the spectacle of almost fifty bands parading among Napier's iconic Art Deco will be a sight to see," he said.

"It's been 20 years since we hosted a national contest in Napier and the development of live streaming will allow us to show-case the city to the world."

Hawke's Bay hosted their first National Pipe Band Championship in 1953, this year will be the fourth time.

Marshall said over the next few weeks there are a number of lead-up competitions throughout New Zealand.

"Each centre will be staging a contest so that bands in each area can practise their music and marching before coming to Hawke's Bay for the national contest."

The competition starts at 9am on Friday March 19 and continues until late afternoon on the Saturday, entry to the park will be a gold coin donation.

More details of the event are on the contest website - nzpbchamps.nz.