Matariki ki Waikato

Matariki ki Waikato Matariki ki Waikato is the longest-running community-led Matariki festival in Aotearoa, uniting culture, kai, arts and community across Waikato.

Rooted in Aotearoa, built for future generations. Follow for events, registrations and ways to be involved. Matariki ki Waikato brings you community events celebrating the kaupapa of Matariki within the rohe o Waikato. For the rest of the year we will keep you updated with other kaupapa Māori events, gatherings, celebrations & concerts too.

31/07/2026

As the winds carried our manu tukutuku into the winter sky, they carried with them our hopes, aspirations, and the spirit of Matariki. 🪁✨

What a beautiful way to bring Matariki ki Waikato 2026 to a close! Last week, whaanau gathered at Turtle Lake to fly kites, share laughter, enjoy kai, and celebrate the Maaori New Year together.

Ngaa mihi nui to everyone who joined us throughout this year’s festival—a special mihi to Friends of Hamilton Gardens for the tautoko, and to our volunteers who helped make this happen!

🎥 Stunning video by Jordan Chase | Photos coming up soon ✨

22/07/2026

Only 340 sleeps until we can celebrate Matariki again! ✨

Thanks again to everyone who came out to celebrate and reflect with us at Innes Common 🥰

See you this Sunday, 26 July, 10.30am at Turtle Lake Hill, Hamilton Gardens for Matariki Kite Day! 🪁For Maaori, the kite...
22/07/2026

See you this Sunday, 26 July, 10.30am at Turtle Lake Hill, Hamilton Gardens for Matariki Kite Day! 🪁

For Maaori, the kite has always been a way of reaching upward, a thread between earth and sky, between those who came before and those still to come. This is a beautiful way of ending this year's Matariki ki Waikato festival.

Tamariki and pakeke can learn the craft of traditional kite-making, get a close look at Peter Lynn's paper kites, and watch the sky fill with colours as kites of all shapes take flight.

This is a FREE event for all! Free kite and sausage sizzles await the first 600 kids.

Let's come together for the last Matariki ki Waikato event this year: Matariki Kite Day 🪁🗓️ Sunday, 26 July, 10.30am-2pm...
19/07/2026

Let's come together for the last Matariki ki Waikato event this year: Matariki Kite Day 🪁
🗓️ Sunday, 26 July, 10.30am-2pm
📍 Turtle Lake Hill, Hamilton Gardens

Bring your whaanau to the hill for a morning of kites, creativity, and connection. Make and decorate your own manu tukutuku, then send it up into the Matariki sky.

FREE entry. First 600 tamariki will get a free kite and sausage sizzle!

Spread the word, whaanau. ✨

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Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/matariki-kite-day-tickets-1990592544887

18/07/2026

WHITI was a night full of shining whetuu! ✨💫 We're so proud of all the rangatahi who showed up last week for this talent showcase. From poetry to dance, singing and kapa haka, our brave rangatahi proved that they're ready to share what they've got and shine their light!

As a signature event of Matariki ki Waikato, Whiti is grounded in the spirit of Matariki, honouring those who have come before us, celebrating who we are today, and investing in the future by uplifting the next generation of performers, creators, storytellers and leaders across the region.

Huge mihi to our organisers and volunteers who made this night possible!

See you next year!

Tomorrow, 17 July, it's all about our relationship with the taiao (environment), wai (water), moana (ocean), whenua (lan...
16/07/2026

Tomorrow, 17 July, it's all about our relationship with the taiao (environment), wai (water), moana (ocean), whenua (land), ngahere (forest), and even kai (food). 🌎🍃🌳🌊🥘

Go Eco invites you to a waananga that will bring together whaanau, growers, gatherers, hunters, kai practitioners, and community voices to reconnect with the whetuu of Matariki connected to kai and our relationship with the taiao.

Together we will explore the stars connected to food and the natural world - including Tupuaanuku, Tupuaarangi, Waitii, and Waitaa - using them as a guide for koorero about the current state of kai in our communities and what we need to be thinking about now as we move through winter and prepare for the warmer growing seasons ahead.

Joining this is about immersing ourselves in te taiao as we plan ahead, share knowledge, build resilience, and strengthen our collective ability to feed our people well.

See you at the Pureora Forest Lodge, Te Kuiti at 12noon. The waananga is free to attend. However registration is now full for overnight stay.

15/07/2026

Were you there? ✨ Last Friday’s Maanawatia a Matariki beamed not only with laser lights and music, but most of all, with the aroha shared among whaanau, friends, and the wider community—the true spirit of Matariki.

From live performances and kapa haka to kai, market stalls, and the spectacular light show, Innes Common came alive as people gathered to reflect, reconnect, and celebrate together.

Ngaa mihi nui to everyone who made this evening so special—our Kirikiriroa community, those who travelled from neighbouring districts, our vendors, performers, volunteers, and the many teams working behind the scenes to bring this vibrant and culturally significant event to life.

A special mihi to Hamilton City Council for leading the largest event in this year’s Matariki ki Waikato programme. ❤️

Keep celebrating Matariki. ✨

Maanawatia a Matariki! He waa teenei, ki te whakanui, ki te maumahara, ki te titiro whakamua. (This is a time to celebra...
09/07/2026

Maanawatia a Matariki! He waa teenei, ki te whakanui, ki te maumahara, ki te titiro whakamua. (This is a time to celebrate, to remember, and to look ahead.)

See you later at Innes Common, Hamilton Lake, 3-7pm! Experience Matariki as the place comes alive with music, lights, kapa haka, kai, and entertainment for all ages. ✨

Matariki herenga waka. This is for everyone, so bring your whaanau and friends with you. Let's celebrate together!

🚍 FREE rides today to Maanawatia a Matariki brought by BUSITwaikato

09/07/2026

How are you celebrating Matariki? ✨ For Hamilton City Councillor Anna Casey-Cox, it's about taking time to pause to reflect, reconnect, and simply be with the people you love.

Tomorrow, 10 July, we have an amazing line up of activities for you to do just that:

✔️ Storytime Concert by Orchestras Central (11:30am) and a range of other Matariki activities/workshops 📍 Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery (10:30am-3pm) Orchestras Central Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery

✔️ Maanawatia a Matariki, 3-7pm 📍 Innes Common, Hamilton Lake Hamilton City Council

•••
Other events happening on 10 July:
✔️ Matariki Rising Southside Hautapu | 4-6am 📍 Glenview Community Centre
✔️ The Fairfield Project | 6-9am 📍 Fairfield Project Watershed
✔️ Raungaiti Marae Matariki Day | 9am-2pm 📍 Raungaiti Marae, Waharoa
✔️ Matariki at the Museum | 10am-4pm 📍 The Station, 2a Glasgow St, Huntly

🎙️📽️ Luna Danipog | Arts & Culture x Anna Casey-Cox

Matariki Rising Southside Hautapu is a free dawn ceremony that welcomes whaanau and the wider community to gather in Gle...
09/07/2026

Matariki Rising Southside Hautapu is a free dawn ceremony that welcomes whaanau and the wider community to gather in Glenview and honour Matariki through traditional hautapu practices.

The programme includes karakia, offerings to the whetuu of Matariki, collective waiata, and shared kai, creating space to remember loved ones, celebrate the present, and set intentions for the year ahead.

Open to people of all backgrounds, the event offers a warm and inclusive opportunity to connect with the values and traditions of Matariki.

Come to Glenview Community Centre tomorrow, Friday, 10 July, 4-6am. Bring your whaanau!

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