New Zealand Scottish Events Calendar

Hororata Road Hororata

John Kinder House, 2 Ayr St, Parnell,  Auckland. 

Hosts:
Scottish Clans Association (Auckland).

Programme details here

Can't make it to Auckland? Have your own St Andrew's celebration. Invite your friends, wear a touch (or more) of tartan, bring food with a Scottish flavour... a great excuse for a party!

Jenny Mair Square Day

Competitions for Pipe Bands, solo piping & drumming PLUS Highland Dance - great to see dancing contests back in the Square after many years, Scottish vendor stalls too!

Brief details here

For further details, see posts on the Facebook page for Manawatu Scottish Society (hosts for this event).

Helen McGregor Memorial Medley Trophy (Bagpipes)

Helen’s dying wish was a piping competition where NZ's best pipers can “flair their fingers” playing music of their own choice
5:30pm start, tickets at the door, supper is served, bar sales available.

30 December 2024 - 
new date.

This event was held on 31 Dec in previous years)

Waipu Highland Games
9am-4pm

(Change from the usual date of 1 January)

All-day family fun - piping, dancing, stalls, kids running races, and traditional Highland sports from 9am. Then ring in the New Year with a Ceilidh in the evening (8pm start).

New Date!

31 December 2024 -  Scottish Hogmanay.

See the Programme and other details on the Games website

Buy tickets online. or at the gate on the 31st.

NZ Gàidhealtachd

NZ has a deep Celtic heritage; immerse yourself in Celtic knowledge & skills, arts, language, history, music, dance, values & traditions. 

Theme this year: “Vikings and their influence on Celtic culture”.

1-7 January 2025

Camp onsite for all (or part) of the week

Maungaturoto Country Club

84 Bickerstaffe Road, Maungaturoto.

Still time to register, lots of space for campers this year, Dec 1st 2024 deadline to pay for the 2025 event!

Register here
For details of workshops, activities and contacts etc, see the full website here

Turakina Highland Games - 160th!

New Zealand's oldest Scottish Games first held in 1864. Sports, piping & drumming, Highland dance, Clan tents and Scottish vendors 9am-5pm. Followed by an evening BBQ and Ceilidh 

Turakina Domain, Cameron Road, Turakina

(20 km south of Whanganui on SH3)

Paeroa Highland Games and Tattoo

Piping & drumming, Highland dance, Clans, heavyweight Scottish field events, Scottish vendors, Steam Punk, variety acts, and an evening tattoo.

9am-9pm

Central North Island (CNI) Centre Pipe Band Competition.

 Pipe bands from Bay of Plenty/Tauranga, Hamilton, Te Kuiti, Rotorua, Te Awamutu and Te Puke; 10am-3pm

Auckland Centre Pipe Band Contest

Pipe Bands from Northland, all parts of Auckland, and as far south as Franklin. 8am-5pm

Pipes in the Park

Highland Gathering 10am-4pm with food, fun for the children, Clan and Craft markets and loads of performances - piping, drumming and dance!

Queenstown Pipe Band Championships

Last chance for bands to check the competition before the Nationals next weekend! 8am-5pm (approx.) each day

NZ Pipe Band Championships ("The Nationals")

Unicorn Day
(In Scotland and elsewhere)

Fun fact: The Unicorn is Scotland's national animal & even appears on their Royal Coat of Arms.

Your place? the local park?

Get creative and have some fun!

Easter Hawkes Bay Highland Gathering -
 contests for solo Piping & Highland dancing.

Last year

Waipu Highland Games (151st)

Last year

Burns Night - anniversary of Robert Burns' birth in 1759

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Turakina Highland Games (159th)

Last year

Paeroa Highland Games & Tattoo 

Last year

RNZPBA Central North Island Centre Pipe Band contest. Free 1-day event

Soper Reserve,  Newton Rd, Mt Maunganui.
10.30am on

Last year

RNZPBA Canterbury Centre pipe band contest.
Free 2-day event

See details here

Last year

NZ Pipe Band Championships ("The Nationals")

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Easter Hawkes Bay Highland Games (contests for solo Piping & Highland dancing)

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Tartan Day - celebrated today in USA & Canada (NZ & Oz celebrate International Tartan Day on Jul 1)

Last year

Ceilidh - All ages, all abilities. 
In association with the Auckland Scottish Fiddle Club and ScotsStringNZ annual music school.

Last year

Details, tickets etc here

Last year

Traditional Scottish Music Concert.
Musicians from Scotland & Australia with students of ScotsStringNZ's traditional Scottish music school.

Last year

Clan Cameron NZ Annual Dinner.
Note: All Clans and their members are invited to attend!

Hawkes Bay Club, 53a Marine Parade, Bluff Hill, Napier.

See images here of this gracious and historic venue

Last year

Te Kuiti Pipe Band 75th Jubilee 
Celebration Ceilidh

More details, tickets etc here

For  a brief history of the Band, click here

Last year

Ceilidh in Te Uku
Family fun hosted by Waikato and BOP Scottish Country Dancers

7-9 pm
See full details here

Last year

Hamilton Caledonian Society's Pipe Band Concert "PipeWorks 2024".
Fundraiser, two performances (2pm & 7pm), great music, raffles, half-time refreshments

Last year

Taranaki Caledonian Pipe Band - Ceilidh 2024 Music & Dance Social.
Annual fundraiser

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Kirking of the Tartan
The Scottish Clans Association - Auckland invites you to this annual event.

30 June 2024 (Sunday)

St Andrew's Church,
2 Symonds St, Auckland.

Meet at 9:30am for the 10am service, cup of tea & haggis after

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International Tartan Day - celebrated today in NZ and Australia

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Clan Cameron Auckland - Annual Dinner
All Clans welcome!
Great entertainment with City of Auckland Pipe Band's fusion band "Originz" plus folk singers Paul Brown and Noel Armstrong

‘The Parnell’, 10-20 Gladstone Road, Parnell, Auckland.

6pm for 6.30 pm

Full details, tickets etc here 

Note:  There will also be a display of items off "The Blenheim", which landed in Wellington Dec 1840 with many Scottish immigrants.

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Anniversary of Robert Burns' death

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Clan McKenzie "get together"
10am - morning tea and guest speaker.
11am - free tour of the Wigram Airforce Museum.

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Friday Night Ceilidh -  7-9pm. Easy dancing called by Noel Armstrong with two touring Scottish musicians playing.
Adults $15, Families $30. 

Contact hamiltonceilidh@waibopscd.org.nz

Hosted by Lochiel and Hamilton Scottish Dance Clubs. Light supper provided.

Last year

Taranaki Pipe Band - Scottish dance (Ceilidh)

Fundraiser for the band. 7pm start; live music from Wilkie Mac.

Tickets from Vinyl Countdown, New Plymouth Club or on the door on the night. $30pp ($10 for under 18s)