What is Te Matatini?
Kapa haka, Māori performing arts, is one of the great living traditions of Aotearoa New Zealand: group performances that combine song, dance, chant and the haka, with powerful movements, facial expressions and harmonies passed down through generations. Every two years, the best kapa haka groups in the country gather for Te Matatini, the national festival and competition, a celebration of Māori culture that draws tens of thousands of spectators.
The festival began in 1972 in Rotorua as the New Zealand Polynesian Festival, won by the Waihīrere Māori Club. It was later renamed the Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival and, in 2004, Te Matatini, which means "many faces". It moves around the country, hosted by a different region each time, and each festival is welcomed onto the land with a formal pōwhiri, the Māori welcome ceremony.
The competition is fierce. Groups earn their place through regional qualifying competitions held in the year before, and the 2027 festival will feature 57 groups, the largest field in its history. Each group performs a bracket of items, including waiata, songs, poi, dances with balls on cords, haka and whakaeke and whakawātea, the entrance and exit, judged on their skill, language and expression. Prizes are awarded for each discipline, and the top groups return for finals day, when the supreme winner is crowned.
In 2025, the festival was held in New Plymouth, with 55 groups and a sold-out finals day. For 2027, it moves to the Waikato, hosted by Waikato-Tainui at Hopuhopu, near Ngāruawāhia.
What to expect
The festival runs for five days, with pool rounds over four days and finals on the last day.
Opening
The pōwhiri
The festival opens with a pōwhiri, the formal welcome of the groups onto the host land, followed by the first performances.
Pool days
The competition
Groups perform their brackets in pools, each in front of the judges and a crowd of supporters, with food stalls and markets around the stage.
Finals day
Te Mātangirua
The top groups from each pool perform again on finals day, and the supreme winner is announced at the end of the festival.
Women performing at Te Matatini
Photo by Wendy Schotsmans / flickr · CC BY 2.0
Planning your trip
Getting there
In 2027, the festival is at Hopuhopu Sports Park, near Ngāruawāhia in the Waikato, north of Hamilton. Hamilton has a domestic airport, and Auckland's international airport is about an hour and a half away by road. Check the festival's transport information for shuttles and parking.
Where to stay
Hamilton is the nearest city, with hotels and motels for all budgets. Accommodation fills up quickly during the festival, so book early, or stay in Auckland and travel down for the days you plan to attend.
What it costs
Tickets are needed for the festival, with day passes and full-festival options; prices for 2027 had not been announced at the time of writing. New Zealand is moderately expensive, but food at the festival stalls is good value.
Go like you know
- Learn a few words of te reo Māori, such as kia ora, hello, and ka pai, well done.
- Follow a group from your favourite region and cheer them on.
- Visit the food stalls for hāngī, food cooked in an earth oven.
- Stay for finals day if you can; the atmosphere is electric.
- Visit Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia, the seat of the Kīngitanga, the Māori King movement, if open to visitors.
- Explore Hamilton Gardens, one of the region's best-known attractions, on a rest day.
- Watch the live broadcast if you can't attend every day; the festival is shown on Māori Television.
- Clap and cheer for every group, not just the favourites; support from the crowd matters.
- Rapa Nui's Tapati, in February, is another great celebration of Polynesian culture.
- Hawaiʻi's Merrie Monarch Festival, in spring, is the world's great hula competition.
Frequently asked questions
When is Te Matatini in 2027?
Te Matatini o Ngā Taniwha 2027 runs from Monday, February 22 to Saturday, February 27, 2027, at Hopuhopu Sports Park in the Waikato, hosted by Waikato-Tainui. The festival is held every two years, moving to a different region each time, with regional qualifiers in the year before.
What is kapa haka?
Kapa haka is Māori performing arts: group performances that combine song, chant, dance and haka, with poi and actions that tell stories and express identity. Groups prepare for months, and performances are judged on skill, expression and the use of te reo Māori, the Māori language.
Can visitors attend?
Yes. Te Matatini welcomes everyone, and visitors from New Zealand and abroad come to watch. Buy tickets in advance, especially for finals day, and respect the protocols of the festival, including the pōwhiri and the instructions of the hosts, and stay quiet during performances.
