The night sky in Tauranga will be lit up as fireworks displays are let off on The Strand for New Year's Eve.

Two displays are planned for the city, one at 9.30pm for the kids and the much larger traditional midnight display, which will be set off from Wharepai Domain.

'One lot at 9.30pm. If we're going to get New Year's Eve back to being a family thing, we have got to get something on earlier in the evening for young families,” says Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless.

'It happened a year before and it was a big hit. I think they had thought of not doing it this year, but it's definitely happening now.

'And if we are going to pay more than lip service to getting a family oriented New Year's Eve culture back, we should do it and not knock it on the head.

'Terry Molloy he really drove it. He felt the last year's one had been successful and we should do it again.”

Terry says he worked with the city council staff and the CEO, and Mainstreet.

The fireworks on The Strand will be part of a family evening with barbecues. There will be a bigger display from Wharepai Domain at midnight.

'It's just the fireworks, I don't even think they want people to go up there,” says Terry.

'Just big fireworks display that can be seen from all around Tauranga.

'My understanding it is part of trying to spread the celebrations, not too much of a concentration at the Mount or on The Strand.”

In October SunLive reported the city council was stopping support for Mount Maunganui New Year's Eve celebrations because they were becoming too costly and unsafe.