Events
Matariki is a special time to come together and celebrate with the people around us. There are lots of fun things happening near you - talks, light shows, music, markets and more.
Check out our listings below, visit your local council’s website or Eventfinda. If you’re in Wellington, you can also see what Te Papa have on.
If you’re running a Matariki event, please add it below using the online form and share with everyone.
Check out our listings below, visit your local council’s website or Eventfinda. If you’re in Wellington, you can also see what Te Papa have on.
If you’re running a Matariki event, please add it below using the online form and share with everyone.
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National broadcast of Matariki hautapu - Matariki Herenga Waka
Rā | Date
10/07/2026
Āhea | When
6am - 11am
Ki hea| Where
Online | Broadcast
Te utu | Cost
Free
Ngā Whetū o te Tau Hou | The Stars of the New Year | Planetarium shows
Rā | Date
2/6/2026
-
31/7/2026
Āhea | When
see website for show times
Ki hea | Where
Te Whatu Stardome Observatory & Planetarium
Te utu | Cost
Daytime: $16.50/$13.50, Evenings: $18.50/$15.50, Sunday Saver: $12/$10
In this immersive planetarium experience, you’ll journey through the night sky to explore the Matariki star cluster and its importance in Aotearoa and te ao Māori.
Discover the rich purākau (stories), science, and traditions connected to each of the nine whetū, learn about the Maramataka (the Māori lunar calendar), and reflect on how Matariki guides us through the cycles of the year along with many other significant stars.
This show is a great way to honour the season and gain a deeper appreciation of Māori astronomy. Recommended for ages 8+.
Auckland - Tāmaki Makaurau
Toi Matariki
Rā | Date
18/6/2026
-
2/7/2026
Āhea | When
6pm-8pm
Ki hea | Where
3001 Great North Rd, New Lynn, Auckland
Te utu | Cost
$80 per wānanga
✨ Toi Matariki ✨ - A three part in-person series of wānanga in the lead up to our tau hou.
Here are our key wānanga dates:
June 18 - KŌWHAIWHAI 🌀
with Te Kanawa and Heeds
June 25 - TOI WAIHANGA
with Tawck GBAK and Haser
July 2 - KŌHATU 🪨
with Maaka Toi
Times:
6pm to 8pm.
Cost:
$80 per wānanga.
Capacity:
20 spots max per wānanga. 🎟️
If you are interested in one or all of these wānanga, please flick us an email: ngamanuatoi@gmail.com
Auckland - Tāmaki Makaurau
Matariki Tamariki Time
Rā | Date
19/6/2026
-
19/6/2026
Āhea | When
10:00-12:00
Ki hea | Where
Te Papa
Te utu | Cost
Free
He wāhanga tauwhitiwhiti utukore kuhu noa mā ngā nohinohi kei raro i te 5 tau te pakeke. I tēnei marama, ākona a Matariki me te whakatere waka.
A free, interactive drop-in session for tamariki aged 5 and under. This month learn about Matariki and waka navigation.
Wellington - Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Kotahitanga - Puanga Exhibition
Rā | Date
20/6/2026
-
31/7/2026
Āhea | When
10:00-15:00
Ki hea | Where
56-58 Herekino Street, Whangārei 0110
Te utu | Cost
Kore Utu
An inspired collection of local and Māori artworks.
We come from different whakapapa, different journeys, and different ways of knowing — each of us a distinct thread. Yet when Puanga appears on the horizon, it calls us together. It offers us a chance to weave our many threads into something unbreakable, something none of us could create alone. And when we weave together for a shared vision, for community, for taiao, for mokopuna, we reclaim something powerful that can energise and inspire
Join us for the opening of this years Puanga exhibition - Kotahitanga, on the 20th of June at 10:00AM.
Northland - Te Tai Tokerau
Wānanga Matariki: Matariki Herenga Waka
Rā | Date
24/6/2026
-
24/6/2026
Āhea | When
18:30-20:30
Ki hea | Where
Te Papa
Te utu | Cost
Free
I roto i tēnei wānanga motuhake, ka whakapuakina e ngā kaumoana o Ngahiraka-Mai-Tawhiti me Te Kura Waka te mātauranga mō te whakamāuitanga ake o ngā waka hourua, ā, ka huritao hoki ki te āhua e ārahi nei e te reanga whakatere hou i ngā waka mā tētahi taiao.
In this special kōrero, the crew of Ngahiraka-Mai-Tawhiti and Te Kura Waka share mātauranga about the revitalisation of waka hourua and reflect on how a new generation of navigators are guiding waka through a changing environment.
Kaikōrero | Speakers:
▪️Tainui Stephens
▪️Manihera Forbes
▪️Hinerapa Rupuha
▪️Tamahau Tangitu
Wellington - Te Whanganui-a-Tara
He Taonga Ānō Te Hau: Treasures That Still Breathe (Art Exhibition)
Rā | Date
25/6/2026
-
23/7/2026
Āhea | When
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (weekdays) 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Saturdays)
Ki hea | Where
Studio One - Toi Tu, 1 Ponsonby Road
Te utu | Cost
Free
He Taonga Ānō te Hau: Treasures That Still Breathe weaves together new and earlier works by multidisciplinary artist Siniva Mokaraka. Working through a Māori and Pasifika lens, Mokaraka honours still life as a space where taonga hold mauri, memory, and spirit. Each fine art digital print is composed from taonga of personal significance, printed on archival Hahnemühle paper, and framed in hand-carved rimu. Created for Matariki, the works speak to remembrance, renewal, and ancestral connection, reflecting on the taonga, stories, and relationships that shape whānau and whakapapa.
Auckland - Tāmaki Makaurau
Matariki Tāhuna Festival 2026
Rā | Date
26/6/2026
-
19/7/2026
Āhea | When
9am
Ki hea | Where
Te Pūtahi Auaha, The Assembly Room, Country Lane Retail Village, Hansen Rd, Frankton, Queenstown, Aotearoa, New Zealand
Te utu | Cost
Some events may require tickets
Matariki Tāhuna Festival 2026 Queenstown
Country Lane, Hansen Road, Frankton, Queenstown
June 26 to July 19th 2026.
June 26: Maramataka Wānanga - Hāpori Karemoana Te Rongopatahi
July 4: Matariki Launch
July 10: Matariki Public Holiday, Hautapu, Waka Ama
July 11: Matariki Market Day
July 15-18: Tuihana Ohia Sustainable Upcycling Tikki Studio
Events include: Kohanga Reo, waiata, Kapa Haka, Toi Māori, raranga, wānanga, kanikani, tāonga pūoro, hui, writers, kai,
July 19: Hiwa-i-te-rangi reflections and aspirations
Matariki Closing
Join us email: Matariki.tahuna@gmail.com
www.tewahitoi.co.nz
Otago - Ōtākou
Raranga with Chrissy Anderson
Rā | Date
27/6/2026
-
28/6/2026
Āhea | When
10:00-14:00
Ki hea | Where
56-58 Herekino Street, Whangārei 0110
Te utu | Cost
Kore Utu
To coincide with Puanga 2026, the Hihiaua Cultural Centre has arranged a number of workshops to celebrate the new year.
This two-day wānanga raranga, led by local kairaranga Chrissy Anderson, will provide the participants with technical skills, resources, and space to create kōnae or pāro.
The workshop will run on the 27th & 28th of June from 10:00AM-2:00PM.
Spaces are limited due to the capacity of the workshop. Make sure to email info@hihiaua.org.nz to book your spot.
This workshop is free to attend, but koha is appreciated
Northland - Te Tai Tokerau
Matariki Star Quest
Rā | Date
27/6/2026
-
9/7/2026
Āhea | When
5.30pm
Ki hea | Where
Blockhouse Bay Community Centre
Te utu | Cost
Free
The whetū have journeyed from the winter sky into Blockhouse Bay Village and it’s up to you to find them before they disappear!
From 27 June to 9 July, whānau are invited to discover the nine stars of Matariki hidden throughout the village and learn the stories they carry. The journey concludes with a free community celebration on 9 July at 5:30pm at the Blockhouse Bay Community Centre with free kai, activities, prizes and connection.
Complete the Matariki Star Quest to go in the draw to win one of three themed prize baskets!
Mānawatia a Matariki.
Auckland - Tāmaki Makaurau
Tūhono Light Path
Rā | Date
29/6/2026
-
18/7/2026
Āhea | When
4.00pm - 12.00pm
Ki hea | Where
Te Kōmititanga (Commercial Bay) to Māhuhu-ki-te-Rangi Park (Te Tōangaroa)
Te utu | Cost
Free
An immersive ara toi (art trail) celebrating Matariki through light, storytelling and contemporary Māori Art. Stretching from Te Kōmititanga, through Takutai Square - Britomart and along the downtown waterfront to Te Tōangaroa connecting a series of city spaces.
Created by a collective of Ngāti Whātua ringa toi (artists) - Arama Tamariki-Enua, Caine Taihia, Uira Nahi and Maraea Shaw in collaboration with Angus Muir Designs - the trail draws inspiration from symbolism and journey of waka, exploring the ideas of movement, gathering and hītori (history) across generations.
Auckland - Tāmaki Makaurau
Kapahaka Hapori Kai Night
Rā | Date
1/7/2026
-
Āhea | When
5.00pm
Ki hea | Where
Waiopehu College Auditorium
Te utu | Cost
Free
Join us for a free celebration of kapahaka in Taitoko, featuring performances from local tamariki and rangitahi. In honour of Matariki, kai will be available to take home following the performances.
Manawatū - Whanganui
Matariki Herenga Waka – A Gathering of Many Voices
Rā | Date
2/7/2026
-
12/7/2026
Āhea | When
Opening event on the 2nd of July 2026, at 5:30PM to 7:30PM
Ki hea | Where
17 Osborne Street, Newmarket, 1023
Te utu | Cost
Free
This exhibition brings together a community of Māori artists within The Poi Room, in a shared exploration of connection. It reflects the 2026 theme of Matariki by bringing together the beauty of Māori toi through different mediums and techniques. Each artist contributes to a collective constellation of works, echoing the Matariki cluster, showing their distinctness yet interconnected. This exhibition positions The Poi Room as a contemporary herenga waka: a place where Māori artists gather to share whakaaro, whakapapa, and lived experience through their art.
Auckland - Tāmaki Makaurau
Matariki After Dark
Rā | Date
2/7/2026
-
2/7/2026
Āhea | When
19:30-23:00
Ki hea | Where
Te Papa
Te utu | Cost
Free
Hei whakanui mā ngā pakeke anake mō ngā kōrero, ngā tikanga, me te mātauranga kua wānangahia i waenga i Aotearoa, ā puta noa i Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.
An adults-only celebration of the stories, traditions, and mātauranga shared between Aotearoa New Zealand and Te Moananui-a-Kiwa, the wider Pacific.
Come together to celebrate Matariki through music, kōrero, performances, workshops, and kai.
- KOREKASH
- Cook Island music and performances
- Tivaevae workshop
- Pacific Climate Warrior wānanga
- Te reo o te waka kōrero
- Taonga from the Pasifika collection
- Cash bar
Wellington - Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Friday Konohete
Rā | Date
3/7/2026
-
Āhea | When
12.00pm - 1.00pm
Ki hea | Where
Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō
Te utu | Cost
Free
Celebrate the power of puoro (music) with us as a range of groups come together to perform kapahaka and waiata. Experience the energy, storytelling and cultural pride as performers from Mūaupoko Tribal Authority, Te Karanga o te Tūi and more share their talents.
Manawatū - Whanganui
Kindergartens South Matariki Art Exhibition
Rā | Date
3/7/2026
-
5/7/2026
Āhea | When
Day Time - 10:00am - 5:00pm / Night Time - 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Ki hea | Where
Nith Street and Forth Street Invercargill, 9810
Te utu | Cost
FREE
О̄tepuni Gardens will be curated by the Southland Kindergartens Association to showcase all the Matariki Artworks their tamariki have been working on leading up to the Matariki period. Come along and enjoy the artworks during the day to see them up close and detailed or during the evening for a completely unique vibe when they are lit up with lights.
Southland - Murihiku
Foxton Matariki Pool Party
Rā | Date
4/7/2026
-
Āhea | When
3.00pm - 5.00pm
Ki hea | Where
Foxton Pools
Te utu | Cost
Normal entry prices
Make a splash this Matariki at our Foxton Pool Party. Celebrate the season with an afternoon of music, good vibes, and plenty of fun in the water. With inflatables to enjoy and tunes playing, it’s the perfect way to bring whānau and friends together for a relaxed and joyful Matariki celebration. Bring your togs, gather your crew, and come along for a memorable day at the pools.
Manawatū - Whanganui
Hihiaua Puanga 2026 - Pūrakau and Taakaro with Wiremu Sarich
Rā | Date
4/7/2026
-
4/7/2026
Āhea | When
10:00-14:00
Ki hea | Where
56-58 Herekino Street, Whangārei 0110
Te utu | Cost
Kore Utu
Hihiaua Puanga 2026 Presents: Pūrakau and Taakaro with Wiremu Sarich
Wiremu Sarich (Te Rarawa, Ngapuhi, Tainui), will be weaving legendary tales through interactive storytelling in celebration of Puanganui o te Rangi and Matariki incorporating aro, taakaro (implements of play), taonga puoro, and various natural resources as props. Total audience participation will be encouraged throughout the day.
Please register your attendance via Eventbrite: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/hihiaua-puanga-2026-purakau-and-taakaro-with-wirem
No cost is required for registration but koha is appreciated.
Northland - Te Tai Tokerau
Puanga & Matariki: A Living Experience
Rā | Date
4/7/2026
-
Āhea | When
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Ki hea | Where
Puke Ariki, 1 Ariki Street, New Plymouth
Te utu | Cost
Free
Senior wharekura students from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Pi’ipi’inga Kākano Mai i Rangiātea invite you to explore the ways Puanga and Matariki are understood and experienced through a Māori worldview. Drawing on their own experiences, tauira will guide visitors through small-group, hands-on activities and storytelling that reflect remembrance, celebration, connection to the taiao, and aspirations for the year ahead.
Taranaki
Puna Kaukau
Rā | Date
5/7/2026
-
5/7/2026
Āhea | When
05:45 - 07:45am
Ki hea | Where
Gladstone River Swing Bridge, Poads Road, Levin
Te utu | Cost
Free
Take part in a meaningful Matariki tradition at Puna Kaukau. Join us for a special karakia to acknowledge the whetū (star) Waitī, honour the awa (river), and welcome the Matariki season. Following the ceremony, those who are keen can take a refreshing mid-winter dip in the river - an invigorating way to reflect, reset, and embrace the new year. Whether you’re participating in the swim or simply coming along to observe, it’s a beautiful opportunity to connect with te taiao and share in a moment of community and reflection.
Manawatū - Whanganui
Matariki Mauri Tau - Guided Meditation
Rā | Date
5/7/2026
-
19/7/2026
Āhea | When
Sunday 5, 12, 19 July - 9.30am & 11am
Ki hea | Where
Te Whatu Stardome Observatory & Planetarium
Te utu | Cost
$15 / $9.50 for annual pass holders
Led by Mindfulness Educator Kristina Cavit MNZM - founder of The Kindness Institute and co-founder of TAIORA - this immersive Matariki meditation experience brings together mindfulness, hauora, and kaupapa Māori approaches to wellbeing beneath the stars.
Through breathtaking cosmic visuals, guided reflection and sound, this journey weaves together hauora, whakapapa, stillness, and wonder - inviting people to slow down, reconnect, and remember their place within the universe.
The final sessions (on 19 July) will be guided by rangatahi facilitator and Māori meditation teacher Te Aorangi Morini
Auckland - Tāmaki Makaurau
Matariki for Tamariki
Rā | Date
7/7/2026
-
Āhea | When
10.30am - 11.30am
Ki hea | Where
Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, Levin
Te utu | Cost
Free
Join us for a special morning of stories and waiata, led by Punahau Early Childhood Centre. This relaxed, whānau-friendly session is a lovely way for tamariki to learn about Matariki through music, storytelling, and shared experience. Come along, settle in, and enjoy a warm and welcoming space to connect, learn, and celebrate together.
Manawatū - Whanganui
Matariki Mackenzie
Rā | Date
7/7/2026
-
11/7/2026
Āhea | When
Various times
Ki hea | Where
Various venues
Te utu | Cost
Free
Welcome to Te Manahuna (the Mackenzie), home of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.
Here, in Te Manahuna, we're driven by a collective kaupapa (purpose) to protect te pō (dark sky), preserve whenua (land) and kotahitaka (unity).
Matariki, the Māori new year, is an opportunity for all to gather together and reflect on the year that has passed, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. It is a time to pause, to connect, and to consider our responsibility to our environment.
Join us for kai, culture and kōrero as we celebrate the rising of Matariki.
Canterbury - Waitaha
Under the Stars
Rā | Date
9/7/2026
-
9/7/2026
Āhea | When
4:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Ki hea | Where
1240 Hinemaru Street - The Arts Village
Te utu | Cost
Free
Celebrate Matariki through toi. Step into Under the Stars 2026, a vibrant, city-wide exhibition honouring Aotearoa’s newest national holiday. This is a call to Rotorua artists, emerging and established, to share works that reflect, remember, and reimagine Matariki. Featured exhibitions: Ngā Hue o Matariki Toni-Marie Jennings’ debut solo exhibition, Works by ākonga from Mokoia Intermediate School In conjunction with Te Pō Kitakita.
Bay of Plenty - Te Moana-a-Toi
