Thousands are expected at Innes Common, Hamilton Lake on Friday 10 July for Hamilton's fifth annual Maanawatia a Matariki festival, a free community celebration marking the rising of Matariki and Te Maatahi o te Tau, the Maaori New Year.

As Tāmaki Makaurau comes together to celebrate Matariki, Matariki ki te Manawa returns to the city centre with illuminated art, storytelling, augmented reality and live performance inspired by the people, places and cultural narratives of the region.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei will host the first national Matariki hautapu in Auckland, with thousands expected at Takaparawhau, Bastion Point.

A record 550 drones will light up Rotorua’s night sky next month, with organisers promising a “stunning display of light, sound and Māori storytelling to honour Matariki”.

Te Karanga-a-Hape returns with free Matariki celebrations, live music, art, storytelling, and performances from Ladi6, MĀ, and more.

A traditional Māori star compass, built to teach the next generation how to read the skies and live by the stars, has been unveiled at a Ngāti Rangi kura in Ohakune.

A new Wellington Writers Walk sculpture featuring text in te reo Māori is set to be installed on the waterfront in time for Matariki 2026, marking the first time the literary trail has included a work entirely in te reo.

While national celebrations are held in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland – known as ‘the gathering place of many canoes’ – Whakatere Ashburton is also a community of many ‘canoes’: diverse people and identities who call this place home.

The theme for next year’s Matariki celebration is Matariki Herenga Waka – For Everyone, a powerful expression of unity, inclusion, and shared heritage.