This story honours the iwi dialect of Ngaati Tamaoho, including their preference for double vowels in written te reo Maaori.
Vineeta Rao
Auckland, June 17, 2025
Auckland is set to come alive with the warmth of whānau (family), culture and storytelling as the Matariki Festival 2025 kicks off with a vibrant programme of events led by Ngaati Tamaoho in partnership with Auckland Council.
Running from 7 June to 13 July, this year’s Festival embraces the theme of wai (water), celebrating its cultural, spiritual, and environmental importance to te ao Maaori. Across the Auckland region, residents and visitors can enjoy a diverse line-up of free, family-friendly events, exhibitions, and performances, with a deep focus on knowledge sharing and hospitality.
Celebrating Matariki
Auckland’s Matariki Festival, launched in the early 2000s, began as a modest series of local observances and has grown into a citywide celebration of Maaori New Year. Auckland City Council has supported Matariki since at least 2004, coordinating a month of events, including arts, dawn ceremonies, planting, performances, and stargazing, across the region.
Each year, the Council partners with a different iwi manaaki (host). Ngaati Tamaoho has held this honour for a three-year period since 2024. As host iwi, they shape the Festival’s focus, curating events that reflect their traditions, ancestral lands, and values, most recently centring on the theme of wai, and drawing on knowledge of waterways and star lore to create a deep connection to place.
Under their stewardship, the Festival has expanded into a major highlight of Auckland’s cultural calendar, featuring multiple community events, attracting hundreds of participants, and reinforcing the importance of the Maaori way, environmental guardianship, and performances, while welcoming all Aucklanders to participate in karakia, kapa haka, arts, and storytelling.
Ngaati Tamaoho, who are are hosting the Matariki celebrations, trace their ancestry to both Te Waiohua and Waikato iwi, with their rohe or tribal area stretching from Manukau Harbour to the mouth of the Waikato River. As one of the earliest iwi of Tāmaki Makaurau, Ngāti Tamaoho hold deep ancestral and cultural ties to the region, in particular, with the waterways and southern Auckland. They have around 4000 registered members, the majority of whom live and work across Auckland and Waikato.
Mayor welcomes Aucklanders
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown encouraged the city to come together in the spirit of unity and renewal. “I extend an invitation to all Aucklanders to join in the festivities to celebrate Matariki, reflect on the year that was, and bring in the new. This is an opportunity to learn more about te ao Maaori and the rich history of Ngaati Tamaoho.”
Festival Highlights: The Pou Events
The Festival presents an excellent opportunity to engage with and better understand local culture. There are multiple events, including
Opening Exhibition: Waitaa ki te Maanuka, Waitii ki te Mangatangi, Waipuna ki te Rangi
A powerful showcase of traditional Maaori artistry opens the Festival at Sir Edmund Hillary Library and Papakura Museum on Saturday 14 June, 2 pm–4pm.
Featuring works from Ngaati Tamaoho’s Whaikairo, Raaranga and Whiri Aroha roopuu, the exhibition draws inspiration from the Matariki stars Waitaa, Waitii and Waipunarangi, connecting ancestral waterways to contemporary culture. Light refreshments will be served.
Matariki ki te Maunga (Pre-Dawn Ceremony): Join a reflective dawn ceremony at Pukekohe Hill Reserve on Friday 20 June from 5 am, featuring karakia and live performances at Ngaa Hau e Whaa Marae. It is a moment for collective renewal under the rising Matariki stars.
Matariki at the Gardens: Te Hui Ahurei o Matariki on 20 June, 10 am-4pm, brings a full-day celebration to the Auckland Botanic Gardens. Expect kapa haka, carving, weaving, kite making and storytelling, a dynamic day for all ages steeped in indigenous wisdom and joy.
The Grand Finale
The Festival ends on a high note with a free evening concert at Takutai Square, Britomart on Thursday 10 July, 5 pm–9.30 pm. Audiences will enjoy performances by top Aotearoa artists, with music ranging from waiata and haka to hip-hop, reggae and electronica, plus kai stalls and cultural showcases under the stars.
A Celebration for All
The 2025 Matariki Festival reaffirms the value of collective memory, Maaori identity and environmental guardianship. Through every poi swing and paddle stroke, Aucklanders are invited to reflect, connect, and look ahead to the new year.
For full event details, visit matarikiFestival.org.nz
Vineeta Rao is an Indian Newslink Reporter based in Auckland.
