TVNZ And Whakaata Māori Partner To Bring Te Matatini Festival To Audiences Live And Free-to-Air

• NZ’s biggest kapa haka and cultural festival takes place 25 February – 1 March in Ngāmotu, New Plymouth
• Audiences can enjoy live and free-to-air coverage of the festival on TVNZ and Whaakata Māori

TVNZ and Whakaata Māori are partnering to bring New Zealand’s largest Māori performing arts festival, Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga 2025, to viewers across the motu. Together with Te Matatini Society Inc, Pango Productions and funding from Te Māngai Pāho, the festival will be available live and free-to-air, giving audiences more access than ever before.

Tā Herewini Parata, Chairperson of Te Matatini, says, “Returning to the open arms of Taranaki, Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga will be the biggest national kapa haka festival ever held. With the highest number of groups qualifying, we have added an extra day to the programme.

“Having Whakaata Māori and TVNZ onboard again for Te Matatini 2025 is a significant triumph as it means the power and beauty of kapa haka at the most elite level can be enjoyed by everyone.”

The highly anticipated competition takes place across 25 February – 1 March, with 55 groups performing in Ngāmotu. Viewers will be able to enjoy all the action of the incredible kapa haka on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+, and on Whakaata Māori and Māori+ coverage.

The festival brings together the traditions and stories of hapu, iwi and waka, while placing great emphasis on originality and diverse expressions of Māori artistry within the kapa haka disciplines. Kapa haka involves a combination of singing, movement, synchronicity, and choreography.

Te Reo Tātaki Chief Content Officer, Nevak Rogers, says, “We had the privilege of bringing viewers Te Matatini in 2023, showcasing high-quality kapa haka, reo Māori and culture for all to enjoy.  Our coverage saw record audiences tune into the competition and I’m thrilled to see the continued growth of Māori performing arts with the highest number of groups taking the stage from Aotearoa and Australia next month.

“Both Whakaata Māori and Te Reo Tātaki have been part of Te Matatini’s history for more than 50 years. Together with funding from Te Māngai Pāho, partnering with Whakaata Māori means we’re able to better cater to the different fluency levels and deliver to the broadest audiences possible – from the die-hard fans to those who are new to the kapa haka revolution.”

Whakaata Māori Kaiurungi Pāpāho, Director of Content and Audience Engagement, Maria Barlow, says, “Te Matatini is more than a festival – it is the heartbeat of te ao Māori, a living expression of our ancestors’ aspirations, and a vibrant celebration of our future. Through kapa haka, we elevate our reo, our tikanga, and the stories that connect whānau, communities, and Aotearoa, brought to life by the extraordinary artistry of our kaihaka.”

Te Reo Tātaki’s Manukura Māori, Scotty Morrison, and Matai Smith will lead TVNZ’s presenting line-up alongside reporters Te Rauhiringa Brown and Stacey Morrison. A rotating panel of guests will also be onsite to provide analysis and highlights in between performances, and to speak to the history of the host region, Taranaki.

Te Karere will broadcast from the festival, each weekday from 4pm, with Scotty hosting live on the ground in New Plymouth. Reporting will also take place across TVNZ’s full suite of news and current affairs programming.

In the lead-up to the festival a second season of The Road to Te Matatini will be available from February 6 on TVNZ+. The series follows groups as they train and prepare for Te Matatini, showcasing what it takes to prepare for this elite competition and delving deeper into the finer points of competitive kapa haka.

Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga 2025 will be broadcast live on TVNZ 2 and live streamed on TVNZ+, with catch-up viewing available on TVNZ+. Viewers can also watch live on Whakaata Māori and live streamed on Māori+. 

Coverage of Te Matatini o te Kāhui Maunga 2025 is made with support from Te Māngai Pāho.

Television viewers will be able to tune in to Te Matatini’s Haka Translate service to hear translations and the meaning of compositions of all the waiata in English. On the final’s day, Haka Translate will be available in five additional languages: Mandarin, Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, Cook Island Māori and an audio description, via the Te Matatini Festival app. 

About Te Matatini Festival

Te Matatini is the largest celebration of traditional Māori performing arts excellence in the world. Held every two years, the Te Matatini festival is one of the most highly anticipated events for performers, their whānau and the mass of passionate kapa haka fans. The festival attracts tens of thousands of people all wanting to witness the power and beauty of kapa haka performed by the best of the best. 

www.tematatini.co.nz

About Te Māngai Pāho

Te Māngai Pāho is first and foremost a Māori language agency. Its aim is to whakanui te reo Māori and Māori culture so that te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are spoken, heard, seen and valued. Te Māngai Pāho provided funding for Te Matatini Festival.

www.tmp.govt.nz/

About Whakaata Māori

Whakaata Māori trades under its reo Māori name to better reflect the role we play in revitalising te reo Māori, our culture, and sharing our stories across multiple platforms. Whakaata means 'to mirror', 'to reflect' or 'to display.'

https://www.whakaatamaori.co.nz/

About Pango Productions

Pango Productions Ltd is a Maori-owned television production company with a vision to be the leader in the way Maori are perceived locally and globally. A story-telling content company that aims to unlock the incredible potential that New Zealand holds. It was founded by CEO, Bailey Mackey, of Rongowhakaata, Ngati Porou, and Ngai Tuhoe descent. Pango tells stories with heart, and believes that in doing so, will positively influence the way the world will see and engage with Maori people and culture.

www.pango.co.nz/

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