The multicultural Christmas Carols on the Tauranga Waterfront event planned for later today is being shifted indoors due to the weather.

The decision was made on Sunday afternoon to relocate the carols event from Edgewater Fan at the bottom of Spring Street, to St Peters in the City, at the top of Spring Street. The event will start as originally planned, at 5.30pm, and all are welcome to attend.

The MetService forecast includes rain ahead for Tauranga, due late Sunday afternoon and evening.

St Peters in the City is located at the other end of Spring Street from where the event was originally being held at Edgewater Fan on the Tauranga Waterfront.

For those already planning to park in the Spring Street car park building, they can still do so, before walking up the road to 130 Spring Street.

Map showing location of St Peters in the City.  Image: Open Street Map.

Under the leadership of St Peters in the City, a mixture of Tauranga churches will come together as one, gathering at the church  to sing carols with the community and lift the festive spirit!

Unlike previous years, today's Christmas Carols will bring a multicultural element with Tauranga’s Filipino, Korean, Samoan and Chinese churches taking part, says Rev Enosa Auva’a, minister of St Peters.

Felicity Auva’a, musical director for the event, says: “They will be sharing the Christmas message but in their own language.

So they’ll be performing a dance or singing a carol, but it’ll all be done in their own language and they’ll be dressed in their cultural attire.”

Nicola Fraser, from Tauranga Baptist church, says the event will be a chance to hear the original Christian story of Christmas in a simple and interactive way.

“It’s just great for people to come together at this time of year – regardless of their position on faith – as we retell the birth story of one of the world’s great faiths,” says Nicola.

“We love Christmas time, the carols, special foods, presents and the gatherings with family, friends and community but even more the ‘reason for the season’,” says Felicity.

Christmas Carols on the Waterfront is relocating from Edgewater Fan, Tauranga Waterfront, up Spring Street to St Peters in the City church, from 5.30pm - 7pm on Sunday, December 3.

St Peters in the City. Photo: Supplied.