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Everyone take a deep breath – the rest of October is going to be a rush!
Fortunately, things don’t end there, and the announcements of new interesting events keep coming. But let’s start by dealing one more time with the current festival blitz ...
Reading this early? You may still have time to get down to The Historic Village where, on Saturday, October 24, the Tauranga Fringe Festival is happening in all its magnificence: 91 acts, 6 stages, music, art, poetry, fashion, and general craziness for all the family.
Among the musical acts – and there are too many to name them all – are Dan Sharp, StellaVision, We Will Ride Fast, Joanne Melbourne, Finn Curtis, Gunsmiths, Edward Gains, The Beatnik Staffs, Van Brookes, Cat Face, and Dead Simple – surely something for everyone.
Concurrently there’s the Tauranga Arts Festival, continuing until the end of the month. I’m not going to go through the programme again; pop online and check out the festival site, there are amazing things on offer.
Then the month climaxes with two outstanding alternative gigs as Seattle grunge legends Mudhoney come to Totara St on October 30 and unclassifiable Italian band OvO play Ōkahukura on Grey Street on October 31 with support from Threat.Meet.Protocol, Hoick, and Flogging A Dead One Horse Town.
Blues anyone?
One new venture happening in November is The Tauranga Blues Festival. It’s about time Tauranga had a crack at a blues festival, what with the extremely popular monthly blues jams at the Sport Fishing Club and the general appeal of the music. This one is very much a trial balloon, a boutique start to what might grow in years to come.
It’s a one-day festival on November 15 at the Holy Trinity Church, 3rd Ave. Lined up are The Mojo 3 with some electrifying Chicago and British blues, Mike Garner Trio with old-time Mississippi Delta sounds, rising Taranaki indie powerhouse Karen Clarke Blues Woman, and Kiwi blues favourites Kokomo playing a last local show for 2026.
The festival also promises a spectacular closing jam and special guests, including singer Joanne Melbourne and sax maestro Mark Dennison. Looks like a whole bunch of fun!
Another that caught my eye is at the beginning of December..
This December
On December 4, Totara Street hosts a special celebration of the music of Glen Hansard, the Irish singer who formed The Frames and went on to international fame with his Oscar-winning music for the film Once in which he starred with Markéta Irglová.
The late Glen Hansard. Photo / Emily O’Donnell
Noted local musician Derek Toner – Mellowdrops, Nine Mile Stone, Toner & Franks – is a fellow Irishman with long connections to Hansard’s music. Among more than 20 musicians joining him in the gig are Damo Innes, Brian Franks, Tim Julian, James Bos, Steve Mills, Lewis Martin, Shelby Maples, Ed Gains and Steve Macken.
Derek Toner. Photo / Derek Toner
The night goes beyond music. Hansard long championed help for people experiencing homelessness, so it seems fitting that all profits from the night will go to Under the Stars, supporting people experiencing homelessness right here in our community. Damn fine!
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