Get your pipe band fix with the two-day New Zealand Championships

Piping and drumming zealots in the Northern Hemisphere can go on a two-day bender of pipe band competition with the Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands’ Association’s free live stream of the New Zealand Championships over 48 hours March 7-8 (New Zealand time) in Invercargill, New Zealand. Some 57 bands from all grades entered the event, an increase from the 52 that competed in 2024.

The first day of the live stream starts on Friday, March 7th, at 8 am, Invercargill time.

That’s Thursday, March 6th, at 19:00 GMT / 14:00 ET.

The same times apply to the second day.

The play-by-play production provides comprehensive coverage of all grades of competitions, plus impromptu interviews from the field.

New Zealand piping stalwart Phil Mair returns to the commentator booth and will be joined for the first time by Max Middleton.

Middleton has extensive pipe band experience at the Grade 1 level and professionally works for Television New Zealand (TVNZ), covering live sporting events nationwide.

For a country of only 5.3 million and five world-standard Grade 1 bands, New Zealand boasts one of the world’s strongest piping and drumming scenes per capita. Only Scotland and Northern Ireland, with seven Grade 1 bands and a population of 5.5 million and two Grade 1 bands and a population of 1.9 million, respectively, eclipse the tiny South Pacific nation.

The Grade 1 Canterbury Caledonian Society of Christchurch will play for the band’s sixth straight New Zealand Championship. The event will also be the last for the band’s pipe-major, Jamie Hawke, who announced his plan to step down in February. Piers Dover, a member of Canterbury Caledonian for 10 years and pipe-sergeant since 2024, will take over the pipe-major role after the NZ Nationals.

Hawthorn will make the trip from Melbourne, Australia, to challenge in Grade 1.

Here are the links to the live stream:

Day 1 2025 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships (Friday, March 7th, at 8 am, Invercargill time. That’s Thursday, March 6th, at 19:00 GMT / 14:00 ET)

Day 2 2025 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships (Saturday, March 8th, at 8 am, Invercargill time. That’s Friday, March 7th, at 19:00 GMT / 14:00 ET)

Stay tuned to pipes|drums for results from the 2025 New Zealand Nationals as they become available.