The 2024 Gala Concert is the culmination of a jam-packed year of performing at Nayland College.

This celebration of the Arts features items from Vast Dance Festival, the Solo Performing Arts Competition, The Addams Family, the Contemporary Music showcase, Rock Quest, the KBB Music Festival, the NZCF Big Sing and the Dance Showcase.

Join our instrumental groups, choirs, dancers and actors for this wonderful celebration of the Arts.

Rockshop Bandquest is a performance platform for the next generation of contemporary musicians, powered throughout Aotearoa by NZ Rockshop.

Young musicians have the chance to step out and perform in a supportive and encouraging competition format, with a focus on education, inspiration and entertainment.

GENERAL ADMISSION - seats are not allocated.

2024 Bands - Running Order

The Night Lights - Tāhunanui Primary School
After 8 - Nelson College for Girls Preparatory School
Five Ways - Nelson College for Girls Preparatory School
The Cookie Champions - Tāhunanui Primary School
Twisted Tongues - Waimea Intermediate
The Saints of Rock - St Joseph’s School Nelson
Opposite Seasons - Nelson Central School
Electrified - Waimea Intermediate
Obsidian - St Joseph’s School Nelson
Jawz - Te Kura Tūwaenga o Whakatū, Nelson Intermediate
Velvet Knights - Bohally Intermediate School
Solar Flare - St Joseph’s School Nelson
Eloquence - Waimea Intermediate
Brand New Second Hand - Bohally Intermediate School
Quest - Nelson College Preparatory School
SoundStorm - Te Kura Tūwaenga o Whakatū, Nelson Intermediate

Guest Act: Solace

Come and enjoy homegrown country talent Zac Griffith, a 19-year-old award-winning country singer, songwriter/musician, live at the Theatre Royal Nelson.

Hear great country songs as well as some newly written songs of Griffith’s, and enjoy the music from him and a 6-piece backing band!

Seating is GENERAL ADMISSION, not allocated.

7pm: Solace (Best Band, 2024 Smokefreerockquest Nelson Regional Final)
7.30pm: Interval
8pm: The Beths


The Beths, the indie pop sensation hailing from Auckland, are set to make a triumphant return to their homeland for an intimate headline tour this September. After captivating audiences worldwide with their infectious melodies and dynamic performances – including standout performances across both Coachella weekends, and winning the coveted Album of the Year and Best Group Awards at the recent AMA Awards, The Beths are eager to bring their electrifying live set back to some of their favourite New Zealand stages.

Known for their catchy hooks and heartfelt lyrics, this homecoming tour promises to be a celebration of their journey from local heroes to international acclaim. Don't miss your chance to catch them live as they light up venues across the country with their signature blend of indie rock and irresistible charm.

One of Aotearoa’s all-time favourite bands returns to Nelson on their national tour. From the moment their debut EP Starlifter landed in 1998 until their swansong album Local Kid arrived in 2008, Pōneke’s Fur Patrol left an unforgettable legacy behind them.

Their debut album Pet rode high in the New Zealand Albums Charts for an astonishing thirty weeks, while the single Lydia knocked Destiny’s Child off the number one spot in the singles chart. Second album Collider was a rocking affair that saw the band taking Australia by storm and earning a reputation as a formidable and unmissable live act.

Now, some twenty years since the arrival of Collider, Julia Deans (guitar, vocals), Andrew Bain (bass), and Simon Braxton (drums) are taking to the road again to remind us how timelessly brilliant their stonking back-catalogue really is. Anyone who caught the band’s shows in 2022 will attest that they have lost none of their potency, power, or live energy, with the Ambient Light blog calling their Napier performance “a barnstorming show”.

‍Joining the bill will be Aotearoa Music Awards and Taite Music Prize finalist Tom Lark, fresh home from a UK tour and ready to warm up these shows in style.

‍Don’t miss your chance to hear your favourite Fur Patrol anthems live one more time when the band take to the stage.

Seats on the flat are out to make room for dancing.

The Nelson Regional Final of Smokefreerockquest, New Zealand's nationwide, live, original music, youth event, giving young musicians the opportunity to perform live in a professional setting, in venues from Northland to Southland.

Smokefreerockquest 2024, powered by Rockshop, aims to motivate young musicians to strive for success, to realise the opportunities available in music careers, and to encourage their peers to support original New Zealand Music.

Stalls (downstairs): General Admission tickets. Some seats removed to make room for dancing.
Dress Circle (upstairs): allocated seating.

The 12 bands performing at the regional final are:

After a sell-out show in Nelson last year, the Hot Potato Band returns to the Theatre Royal with a show that’ll have you smiling, off your feet and feeling good!

The larger-than-life brass collective is a breath of fresh air, setting new heights for energetic and interactive musical performances. Finding home in Sydney, Australia, their positive coastal energy pushes euphoric boundaries in their bold quest to reignite acoustic instrumentation. HPB is un-bound by genres, stages and audiences. They have reinvented the traditional brass band as a modern day dance machine and visual spectacle to complement their strong sense of pride for their fun-loving, organic, and quirky musical nature.

Please note, this show is General Admission and the seats will be removed from the flat section of the stalls (downstairs) to make room for dancing. This means that not everyone will have a seat.

When Riverdance featured as the halftime act at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, Irish dancing and Irish music enjoyed a rise in popularity.  Michael Flatley's full version of Riverdance and the equally popular Lord of the Dance became international sensations and Celtic music was accessed by millions.

Tonight NBS Nelson City Brass bring you not only the music of these wonderful shows, but beautiful Celtic melodies performed by some of the finest brass soloists in the country.

Whether you're a fan of 'Myfanwy', 'Blue Bells of Scotland' or the unmistakable sound of a Celtic reel, we are sure you will love Night of the Celts.

Rockshop Bandquest is a performance platform for the next generation of contemporary musicians, powered throughout Aotearoa by NZ Rockshop.

Young musicians have the chance to step out and perform in a supportive and encouraging competition format, with a focus on education, inspiration and entertainment.

GENERAL ADMISSION - seats are not allocated.

Rockshop Bandquest is a performance platform for New Zealand school bands, up to year 8.

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