Trooping the New Zealand music colours

The live local rock event of last year was Neil Finn's five-night stand at the St James with many overseas guests and some close relatives roped in, including our cover stars betchadupa.

Next month the same venue will host a three-night event that is likely to prove just as momentous. And almost as Finn-some.

True Colours is the name of the Kiwi music festival starting on Friday May 31, the first night of Queen's Birthday Weekend and the last official day of New Zealand Music Month. Among its multi-generational, multi-genre shows will be the first New Zealand show for the band formerly known as Shihad under its new name, Pacifier, as well as the return of some legends of the Flying Nun label.

Here's how the three nights shape up:

* Friday, May 31: The Finn Brothers' Hooley has Tim and Neil Finn joined by Dave Dobbyn, veteran Hawaiian steel guitarist Bill Sevesi and other guests yet to be confirmed. The show is an R18 event with all bars open, a GA standing area in front of the stage and reserved seating upstairs. The show starts at 8.30pm and will be divided into two halves. ($49.90-$69.90).

* Saturday, June 1: The All Ages Extravaganza will stretch across the St James Theatre and the adjacent Regent and Westend Theatre from 4pm until 11pm. Pacifier will headline the St James lineup, which also includes betchadupa, Pluto, Deja Voodoo, Elemenop and Blindspott. The Regent will be a hip-hop venue featuring the Major Flavors crew of Sir Vere, Scribe, Ali, MZRE, Savage, J1 and FCA as well as Deceptikonz, Ill Semantics, DJ CXL, Nesian Mystic, Dubious Bros and Foot Souljahs with DJ Raw. And the Westend will be the "breeding ground" venue for six up-and-coming acts, with Pan Am the first to be confirmed.

One ticket will get you into all three venues, but each room has a limited capacity and will be monitored for comfort levels, so queues may form at times. There will be food and beverages but no alcohol available. ($49.90).

* Sunday June 2: Under The Influence - 21 Years Of Flying Nun in the St James Theatre celebrates the label's coming of age with a lineup yet to be confirmed but likely to include Bailterspace, the latest lineup of the Chills, Chris Knox, and relative newcomers to the nunnery Pan Am and betchadupa. The show is R18, with bar service and a mix of standing and seated tickets available. It starts at 8.30pm ($27.50, final lineup to be confirmed).

Tickets for all three shows go on sale on Monday via the usual outlets.