Step back in time for Nelson New Year

Tease your hair and get out the glitter.

Nelson is planning to ring in the New Year with a massive 80s party at the top of Trafalgar St.

The New Year’s Eve Countdown event, which consistently draws up to 5000 people, is the biggest free gathering planned for the region.

The Nelson City Council event is celebrating its 10th edition this year.

For the first time in many years, the event is themed and organisers hope to take Nelsonians and tourists back 30 years when big hair was in vogue and pop music was king.

Team leader festivals Axel De Maupeou said the 80s theme was chosen because the music at the time had ‘‘good rhythm and tunes’’ and it was easy to dance to.

‘‘We ideally want people to dress up and join the 80s vibe.’’

Organisers expected between 2500 and 5000 to be drawn to the event over the time it ran. This was in line with numbers last year.

The evening officially starts at 8pm tomorrow but warms up with family and youth-friendly entertainment, including street performers and ‘‘a bit of comedy’’ from 5pm.

At 8pm, Waimea College youth band Deadbeet Express is due to take over, followed by Nelson band Cover Me and street entertainer Vinyl Burns.

New Zealand cover band AutoMatic 80s, featuring sisters Boh and Pearl Runga, will lead the crowd into the New Year with 80s hits. The AutoMatic 80s perform songs by The Pretenders, Simple Minds, The Police, Billy Idol, INXS, Roxette, David Bowie, Devo, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and other bands from the era.

‘‘It’s going to be great, a good way to celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of the New Year.’’

The free New Year’s Eve Countdown is on at upper Trafalgar St from 8pm until 12:30am. It is an alcohol-free event.

Nelson Bays area commander Inspector Mat Arnold-Kelly said the main message police wanted to spread for New Year’s Eve was for people to look after their mates.

‘‘Don’t drink too much, eat plenty and have a good time but don’t overdo it.’’

He said there would be additional police staff on the ground during New Year’s Eve as well as on January 1. Police would also be cracking down on drinkdriving.

Arnold-Kelly said fire safety was another focus for emergency services, with the fire risk in the region still extreme and fire bans in place.

‘‘We know that people let off fireworks but we strongly advise against it.’’

Kaiteriteri’s annual fireworks display on New Year’s Eve is still on this year through permission from the fire service.

Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve operations manager Dennis Petch said weather conditions on the evening would dictate whether the whole display could go ahead.

The fireworks would be lit from a barge off the beach ‘‘dead on midnight’’.