Te Matatini

Te Matatini is a major Māori performing arts festival and kapa haka competition held every two years in New Zealand. Teams from across New Zealand and Australia gather to showcase Māori culture, with each festival hosted by a different iwi (tribe) and region.

• Held every two years in different New Zealand regions
• Features top kapa haka teams from New Zealand and Australia
• Six compulsory disciplines in each team's 25-minute performance
• Hosted by a different iwi (tribe) each festival
• Prestigious toa whakaihuwaka taonga awarded to the overall winner

What it is

Te Matatini is a nationwide festival and competition dedicated to kapa haka, the vibrant Māori performing art that blends song, dance, and storytelling. It brings together teams from across New Zealand and Australia, offering a stage for the many faces—'te matatini'—of Māori identity. The festival is both a contest and a celebration, where expert judges evaluate performances across a range of disciplines. For Māori communities, Te Matatini is a source of pride, a way to nurture language and tradition, and a unique expression of cultural strength.

Where it comes from

Te Matatini traces its roots to the late 1960s, with its formal society established in 1972 to foster Māori performing arts. The festival's name, given by Professor Wharehuia Milroy, means 'the many faces', reflecting the diversity and unity of Māori people. Over the decades, Te Matatini has grown from a small gathering into the premier event for kapa haka, supporting not only Māori but also wider Polynesian cultural events. Each festival is hosted by a different iwi, who are entrusted with the authority (mana) to organise and welcome participants and visitors.

How it is celebrated

Celebration at Te Matatini centres on kapa haka, where teams perform a polished 25-minute bracket covering six compulsory disciplines: whakaeke (entry), mōteatea (chant), poi, waiata-ā-ringa (action song), haka, and whakawātea (exit). The festival spans five days, with teams judged by experts on each element. The atmosphere is rich with music, movement, and the sound of te reo Māori. Prizes are awarded on the final day, with the overall winner receiving the prestigious toa whakaihuwaka taonga. Beyond the competition, Te Matatini is a gathering of whānau (families), friends, and supporters, sharing food, crafts, and stories.

Joining in

Visitors to Te Matatini can expect a warm welcome in whichever region is hosting that year. The main celebrations take place at large outdoor venues, such as the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth in 2025. Attendees can watch world-class kapa haka, enjoy Māori food and crafts, and experience the hospitality of the host iwi. It is a unique opportunity to witness the living culture of Aotearoa New Zealand and connect with communities from across the country and beyond.

Sources and attribution

This page is Mela's own summary, written in new words. Its facts are drawn from the Wikipedia article Te Matatini, whose text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Each photo is credited to its author beside it. For the full account, read the originals below.

Read more

• Te Matatini on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Official websiteOfficial site
• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data

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