Tauranga Jazz Festival thrives indoors despite rain

The Charruas playing at the Cornerstone at the Tauranga Jazz Festival on Sunday. Photo / Megan Wilson

The rain did not stop jazz fans from flocking to bars in Tauranga’s city centre on Sunday for the annual Jazz Festival.

Due to wet weather, the Downtown Carnival took place indoors on Saturday and Sunday with live performances held at cafes and bars on Tauranga’s Strand, Wharf St and Red Square.

The Jazz Village moved indoors to the Baycourt Addison Theatre on Good Friday.

The festival, in its 62nd year, started on April 7 and runs to the end of Easter Weekend.

The Bay of Plenty Times spoke to festivalgoers in town on Sunday, where people enjoyed food and drinks in various bars and cafes and music could be heard from the streets.

Mount Maunganui local Naudeen Heerschap at the Tauranga Jazz Festival on Sunday. Photo / Megan Wilson

Mount Maunganui local Naudeen Heerschap said the festival was great for Tauranga’s economy.

“I think The Strand’s been very quiet so ... it’s really good to see that this is happening. It’s a good excuse to be social and listen to some music and feel that there’s a bit of life in the town.”

Heerschap - who also went on Saturday - said it was good to catch up with friends “and have a good time”.

“The last few years I’ve been away for Easter but this year I’ve decided to stay around and enjoy the Jazz Festival.”

Shane Taylor said he came from Taupō to Tauranga for the festival and to catch up with a friend.

“I think it’s a good event ... it’s a great place for it.”

He said it was a “nice atmosphere when it’s sunny” but despite the rainy weather, “it’s still making the most of it“.

‘We can still enjoy the music’

Tauranga locals Cliff and Ngaire Bell were enjoying the music at Crown and Badger after going to festival events on Friday and Saturday.

“We’ve loved it for years,” Ngaire said.

“We started in the 80s when it was at the racecourse.”

She said they most loved the music and the atmosphere.

“Everybody’s out and about and it’s great for Tauranga.”

Cliff said the Jazz Society had been “making the best of the circumstances” with regard to the rainy weather.

“Full marks to the Jazz Society for changing the plans at the last minute,” Ngaire said.

The Torchsongs Band playing at CBK on Sunday for the Tauranga Jazz Festival. Photo / Megan Wilson

Tauranga local Ngaire Arnold said the entertainment had been “really good” with an “eclectic mix” of jazz.

Arnold - who was listening to The Torchsongs Band at CBK - said she had been to the festival in previous years when there was “brilliant sunshine”.

Despite the “detrimental” weather, “we can still enjoy the music”.

‘The bars were popping, the people were out’

Festival manager Marc Anderson said the youth competitions at the start of the festival went “fantastically”.

“During the week between the comps and Easter, we had bands in bars all around Mount Maunganui and the city which went really well.

“And then we saw the forecast and we thought, ‘What are we going to do?‘.

“So, we could either cancel everything or soldier on, and we soldiered on ... ”

Anderson said the Jazz Village at Baycourt was “really well attended” on Good Friday,

“That was absolutely fantastic to put an outdoor festival indoors at the last minute. It worked out really well and we got really good feedback from that as well.”

Jazz fans at St Amand in the Tauranga CBD for the Tauranga Jazz Festival on Sunday. Photo / Megan Wilson

Anderson said it was too windy to put the stages up on Saturday for the downtown carnival.

“At the last minute, we had to turn everything into an indoor event.

“The bars were popping, the people were out, and it was just a really good atmosphere in town. And I hope people that came to Tauranga for Easter and the locals enjoyed it.”

Anderson thanked the festival team, venues, and attendees “for being positive” about the weather, and for people coming out to support the festival.

“The show must go on and it did.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.