Te Matatini 2023

Te Matatini 2023 at Ngā Ana Wai Eden Park officially begins as Ngāti Wātua Ōrākei gives the opening karakia. Te Matatini Herenga Waka Herenga Tangata Festival ...

Waerenga Te Kaha, Te Tai Tokerau – 5.20pm Te Ahi a Tahurangi, Te Whanganui a Tara – 3pm Te Iti Kahurangi, Tainui – 4.10pm Ngā Purapura o Te Taihauāuru, Aotea – 3.35pm Te Wā Tina – 45 minutes Te Kai o te Ata – 20 minutes Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Te Arawa, – 1.45pm Te Rangiura o Wairarapa, Ngāti Kahungungu – 12pm Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Kahungungu – 8.50am Te Waka Huia, Tāmaki Makaurau – 11.25am Te Ringa Kaha, Rangitāne – 10.25am Muriwhenua, Te Tai Tokerau – 8.15am

Where to watch, how to attend, how does it work and other questions about this week's kapa haka festival, answered.

[this Youtube account](https://www.youtube.com/@haka-bro/videos) has videos of every performance from the last festival. If you’re keen to brush up on the competition that went down in 2019, - Poi: The rhythmic twirls and flutters of a poi often mimic elements of the environment – like water, insects or birds. Unlike other waiata performed on stage, mōteatea is unique in that the tune doesn’t adopt Western melody and harmony. - Mōteatea: The unbroken rhythmic chanting of mōteatoa is perhaps the most traditional item within a kapa haka performance. If you can’t make it to the festival, it will be live on TVNZ (the first time it has been broadcast by TVNZ in 20 years). The whakaeke often includes polished waiata, haka, movement and instruments from the group as an expression of who they are, where they are from and what their purpose is. The nine groups that will perform on finals day will be announced on Friday evening. Only the top three groups in each pool will qualify to compete on the finals day on Saturday, which is called Te Matangirua. On the last day, Haka Translate will be available in five additional languages: Mandarin, Tongan, Samoan, Fijian and Cook Island Māori, via the Matatini Festival app. It’s overseen an ever-changing approach to performance, sound and costume in the world of kapa haka. What started as the New Zealand Polynesian Festival in 1972, among the geothermal wonders of Whakarewarewa in Rotorua, has grown into a state-of-the-art biennial festival that’s hosted by a different iwi each time.

Described as the "Olympics of kapa haka", the festival has been running since 1972. Some have been queueing at the venue since 3am to ensure they get the ...

Hania Douglas: Te Matatini 2023 was kicked off by Muriwhenua from Te Tai Tokerau kicked in dynamic fashion. It was very beautiful to watch and a nice way to ...

I suspect as we start going through the more established groups, that standard will lift. One of the trends I’m seeing is almost every group has their men with painted thighs and they look like biker shorts. One team had their men paint their thighs white, so the black tattoo markings stood out. It was very beautiful to watch and a nice way to get the party started. Most groups can do one or the other but Whāngārā are kings of doing both. Nga mate o te wa.

There were 15 haka groups from across the motu performing at the long-awaited Te Matatini national kapa haka festival today.

Some fans did not know which groups they were cheering for - they were just there to cheer for their friends. "I'm happy. [Listen to the full report from the festival here duration 2:35](/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018879009/excitement-at-eden-park-for-first-day-of-te-matatini) [Download](https://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ckpt/ckpt-20230222-1757-excitement_at_eden_park_for_first_day_of_te_matatini-128.mp3) [Listen to the full report from the festival here](/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018879009/excitement-at-eden-park-for-first-day-of-te-matatini)

Respected Māori choreographer and creative thought-leader Jack Gray loves kapa haka - but explains why he thinks it's time some critical thinking was ...

Will there be sweet justice for one of the teams from the impacted regions who prove us all wrong and show that competition is a path to resilience? I understand the cultural importance of Te Matatini and what it spiritually strengthens collectively. Could Te Matatini be pivoted to take advantage of the expected large-scale audiences as a national fundraising drive? Will it be a back-to-back for reigning champs, Ngā Tūmanako (above) from Hoani Waititi Marae (I'm a westie in the hood from way back). Will a first-time out-the-gate team bust out from Hicksville to stamp on the expectations of history? What does it mean to produce this cultural effigy in the aftermath (and continuing) rebuild of our communities at threat of natural disaster? Fiscally, Te Matatini requires funding to stage in the first place, so tickets still maintain the economical parameters of playing out. In this case, I question aspects of manoeuvring that have come as a direct result of living through COVID-19 and unforseen weather events; what immediate responses can occur to provide awareness nationally? The influential nature of social media brings the lived experiences of kaihaka to the masses in ways never seen before. Kapa Haka performers have branched out into the music industry, and the ongoing normalisation of Te Reo Māori which is hugely important and exciting. I am a contemporary dance specialist who looks at multiple ranges of applications from community wellbeing, to cultural research and revitalising, to global inter-Indigenous activation to non-performing arts spaces (i.e., hospitals) such as helping whanau through their hauora journey - which encompasses navigation of systems that often do not sit within the paradigm of Te Ao Māori. And don’t get me wrong I love competition - but I’m starting to think that times change, so what can a new format look like?

Where to watch, how to attend, how does it work and other questions about this week's kapa haka festival, answered.

[this Youtube account](https://www.youtube.com/@haka-bro/videos) has videos of every performance from the last festival. If you’re keen to brush up on the competition that went down in 2019, - Poi: The rhythmic twirls and flutters of a poi often mimic elements of the environment – like water, insects or birds. Unlike other waiata performed on stage, mōteatea is unique in that the tune doesn’t adopt Western melody and harmony. - Mōteatea: The unbroken rhythmic chanting of mōteatoa is perhaps the most traditional item within a kapa haka performance. If you can’t make it to the festival, it will be live on TVNZ (the first time it has been broadcast by TVNZ in 20 years). The whakaeke often includes polished waiata, haka, movement and instruments from the group as an expression of who they are, where they are from and what their purpose is. The nine groups that will perform on finals day will be announced on Friday evening. Only the top three groups in each pool will qualify to compete on the finals day on Saturday, which is called Te Matangirua. On the last day, Haka Translate will be available in five additional languages: Mandarin, Tongan, Samoan, Fijian and Cook Island Māori, via the Matatini Festival app. It’s overseen an ever-changing approach to performance, sound and costume in the world of kapa haka. What started as the New Zealand Polynesian Festival in 1972, among the geothermal wonders of Whakarewarewa in Rotorua, has grown into a state-of-the-art biennial festival that’s hosted by a different iwi each time.