When they were last held in the city, in 1997, the venue was the old Dunedin Stadium, which has since been been turned into an ice rink.
The annual championships were first held in 1946, and 1997 was the first time they had been held indoors.
Forsyth Barr Stadium, a facility unrivalled in New Zealand, is the venue this year.
The Wellington Storm won the overall aggregate last year and is the defending champion. The club, originally known as Lochiel, won its first senior title in 1966. Lochiel was the dominant team for the rest of the century and won 22 more titles.
Storm will be challenged in the senior grade by Pioneers, but it would be a surprise if the Christchurch based-team won.
Dunedin club Ngatahi returned to senior ranks last year but is not expected to challenge the leading teams.
The top under-16 team last year was Dunedin's Onyx, coached by Michelle French.
A repeat win seems likely because the Dunedin team has seven competitors from last year's squad in its ranks.
They are Charmaine and Jasmine Simonsen, Hannah Blagdon, Therese Vince, Nikita MacPherson, Catherine Lewis and Sarah Martin.
Onyx will be challenged by Buckingham Guards (Hawkes Bay), which was the best technical team in the grade last year.
The under-12 grade was won by Glennette (Wellington) last year and it also won the display in the under-16 grade.
Onyx will be competing in the under-12 and under-16 grade this year.
The only other Otago club competing is from Balclutha. Clutha Guard will contest the under-16 grade and Clutha Cadets the under-12 grade.
Marching
NZ championships
Teams: 42 (400 marchers).
Defending champions: Wellington Storm (seniors), Onyx Militaries, Dunedin (under-16), Glennette, Wellington (under-12).
Programme
Today: Qualifying, Forsyth Barr Stadium, 9am to 3.30pm; gala, Otago Boys' High School, 7.30pm.
Tomorrow: Championships, Forsyth Barr Stadium, 9am to 6pm.
