Pike River families will gather on the West Coast tonight to mark the third anniversary of the tragedy in which 29 men died.
Families of some of the men killed in the mining disaster will gather at the coal mine, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Pike River memorial site led by the miners' union this evening.
A minute's silence will be observed at 3.44pm, the precise time of the first explosion in the mine in 2010.
Last week legislation passed that addressed the recommendations of the royal commission of inquiry into the tragedy. Work to re-enter the mine shaft is ongoing.