Village Vibes
A Glen Eden Story
The Glen Eden Library courtyard is somewhere people pass through on their way to somewhere else. On Village Vibes Fridays, they stopped.
Marquees went up. Chairs and tables appeared. Musicians from across West Auckland (and further afield) stepped up to perform and for some, it was their first time in front of a live audience.
People came down after work. Families spread out. Someone grabbed a takeaway from a local favourite and found a seat.
A group of Pacific Wardens supported Village Vibes. "Great to connect with my workmates outside of the usual mahi," one said. "It's been months since I've seen some of them."
"We wanted people to have somewhere to land on a Friday afternoon, somewhere easy, welcoming, close to home. Our job was to bring the partners together and create an opportunity for the locals to enjoy."
- Helen Ng, Community Waitākere
One musician performed to a live crowd for the first time. Locals stopped, listened, stayed longer than they planned. "This is so cool," said one. Another asked the question that said everything: "Is this a one off?"
It wasn't. Village Vibes ran once a month on a Friday in the early evenings, from December 2025 to March 2026.
"It's been wonderful to see the courtyard come alive like this, people lingering, music playing, whānau settling in. This is exactly what this space is for."
- Valerie Carroll, Glen Eden Library, Te Pātaka Kōrero o Ōkaurirahi
The courtyard gave the community somewhere to gather. For the musicians, it gave them something else entirely. Several organisations and social enterprises were involved in supporting the musicians to come forward.
"For our rangatahi, performing in front of their own community is something you can't replicate in a studio. Village Vibes gave them a place to refine their art and an audience to listen."
- Cat Percy, CEO, Crescendo Trust
Village Vibes was brought to Glen Eden by Community Waitākere, Glen Eden Library - Te Pātaka Kōrero o Ōkaurirahi, and Glen Eden Village Business Association, with support from Crescendo Trust, We Are Loud, and funding from Waitākere Ranges Local Board.
