Smokefreerockquest & Smokefree Tangata Beats are New Zealand’s only events that provide opportunities for young musicians to showcase their talents live in their regions and, if successful, at the national finals.

Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats aim to inspire young musicians to see where they can go with their music careers and encourage their peers to support original music made in Aotearoa.

The Smokefreerockquest stage has hosted the original songs of rangatahi for 34 years, with live performances in more than 40 events around the country. Today, two-thirds of all New Zealand secondary schools participate in the competition throughout 23 regions, with audience numbers exceeding 10,000 every year.  

As the events steadily grow, 2023 brings the highest ever number of students and schools participate, giving this year the biggest competitive edge we’ve ever seen. Check out some of the webisodes on Instagram 

  

Smokefree Tangata Beats focuses specifically on music that reflects our unique cultural identity in Aotearoa New Zealand and the South Pacific. This event explores and celebrates the ways Māori and Pacific identities, cultures, styles, actions, flavours and topics can be woven into contemporary music through writing, language and sound. Check out the 2023 dates for this year’s Smokefree Tangata Beats competition by by clicking here.

Smokefree continues to support Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats to:

• engage with youth in a meaningful way
• empower youth to make positive choices about their wellbeing
• encourage youth connectedness, a protective factor in preventing youth from starting to smoke
• to promote being smokefree as part of the New Zealand way of life.

Get involved

• Check out how to get involved in Smokefreerockquest and click here  to stay up to date with the competitions

• Find out more about Smokefree Tangata Beats and follow them on Facebook for the latest photos and videos.