Now into its fifth year, the 2010 Titirangi Festival of Music is being held over four days from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 March in a variety of venues in and around Titirangi, and promises entertainment to suit all tastes.

If you’re interested in checking out up and coming local bands, head to Global Cafe in Henderson at 7pm on Thursday 25 for the Young Guns Concert. Organised and hosted by Green Bay High School students, top young talent from West Auckland schools cover every genre from blues to punk, hip-hop and rock. Top performers will get to play a spot on the ‘Local Sounds’ stage at the Village Music Night on Friday.

Popular local eatery Hardware Cafe will be hosting some of Auckland’s hottest jazz talent in the Toolroom Bar on the Thursday and Friday nights. Situated beneath Hardware Cafe, Toolroom Bar is only open during the Festival.

Friday night is Village Night, and with several events happening around Titirangi at once the $15.00 Village Night Pass is well worth purchasing if you want to check them all out. I’m particularly keen to head to Titirangi Memorial Hall for Local Sounds, where ex-The Mockers frontman Andrew Fagan will be performing with his band The People.

On Saturday night the Titirangi RSA will be ringing with the sweet sound of Celtic melodies and pulsating modal fusion for Pagan Moon Dance, while over at Titirangi Theatre you are challenged to leave pre-conceptions at home and open your mind to the avant garde, strange, spooky or kooky during the Festival Club Late Nite Show.

Saturday night also sees the festival’s headline act perform: local and international hip-hop star King Kapisi and a six piece band will take the stage for Pacific Roots, along with Souljah, Manuel Bundy and MC Rhythm Slave.

There are many more events on offer than I have listed here, from a tour of Rolling Stones memorabilia to hand drumming classes for children – Titirangi is guaranteed to be buzzing for the whole weekend. For more information and tickets see the Titirangi Music Festival 2010 site.