Maori culture is an important part of New Zealand culture and learning about it can be an excellent way to develop a deeper connection with the country.
Culture can be explored in plenty of different ways. Some people prefer learning languages, others enjoy reading books about history, traditions, and art, yet others can get familiar with another culture by meeting people.
Find out about famous Maori people, both historical and recent figures to see how many names you recognise.
No matter what your favourite approach is, some of the greatest opportunities to learn more about Maori culture are Maori festivals and other events in New Zealand.
A Maori festival is an outstanding opportunity to meet Maori speakers and put your Maori skills into practice. You can often find books on different topics, from traditional dishes and world songs to contemporary art. Finally, you can make interesting acquaintances with people you have something in common with and have a nice time.
In this article, we are going to talk about the best Maori festivals that take place in New Zealand during the year. If you already have your favourite festival, this can be an opportunity to find out about new events.
Our blog can help you understand why Maori culture is so important.
And if you are completely new to Maori culture, you can just choose a food, music, art or another event, which seems the most appealing to you. Let's get started.
Matariki festival
Astronomy has always played a very important role in Maori culture. It was interwoven with different facets of life and observing the movements of stars was a very important activity.
One of the most important star clusters in the Maori worldview is Matariki or the Pleiades in Western culture. The rising of the cluster usually occurs in the winter (this year it will happen on the 14 July) and marks for Maori people the beginning of the New Year.
Traditionally, Matariki was an occasion to mourn the deceased, pay tribute and prepare for agricultural work. Then, during the colonisation period, the Maori traditions related to Matariki started to decline and for a while, it was not celebrated at all until the beginning of their revival in the second half of the 20th century.
Nowadays, it is celebrated by numerous public and private organisations all across New Zealand and Matariki Festival is organised in the North Island in Auckland.
The festival is an opportunity to listen to stories and discussions, discover Maori world tunes and taste traditional dishes as part of New Year celebrations. The whole festival will take place from 11 to 22 July this year and will be open to visitors.
Yet, if Auckland is too far from where you live and you are not ready to travel there for over 10 days to celebrate Matariki, you can also find events dedicated to the occasion in other locations.
For instance, an independent Matariki festival is regularly organised in Whangarei. Waikato holds Te Rure Light Festival. Other cities, like Tauranga, organise workshops, tours and other activities where people can meet and celebrate together.
You can easily choose an interesting event for yourself in the winter, around 14 July and get an outstanding opportunity to expand your cultural knowledge.
Find out more about Maori history on Superprof.
Maori language week
Another crucial cultural event held in New Zealand every year is Maori language week, starting in the third week of September every year.
As its very name indicates it is an event dedicated to the promotion of the Maori language in New Zealand and the world as well as its culture.
The event was established in the early 1970s when it became clear that very few people in New Zealand could speak Maori and a petition was signed asking for the protection of the language. It was presented to the New Zealand parliament on September 14, 1972, and that date was recognised as the Maori language day three years later.
The Maori language is part of the New Zealand cultural identity and even people who never studied it at school often use some Maori words in their daily conversations, such as kai ora, haka or puku.
Whether you want to pick up a couple of new Maori words or learn the entire language, Maori language week can be an excellent opportunity for that.
Every year, the week focuses on a different topic and learning resources and events are organised around it. You can find helpful learning tools on the Korero website or you can attend free workshops and classes financed by the New Zealand government.
However, Maori language week is not only about the language but also about Maori culture in general. Lots of concerts, art exhibitions and conferences are organised during that time to attract the attention of New Zealand and the world to the subject.
You can start learning te Reo with Superprof.
And the fantastic news is that you don't even have to travel far to take part in the events of the Maori language week. You can contact your local council or Citizens Advice Bureau to get information about the activities organised in your town and have fun discovering the Maori language, art, songs and food.
Kawhia Kai Festival
This can be an exciting festival for those interested in traditional dishes. It is organised in the small North Island town of Kawhia near Hamilton and despite the small size of the location, it attracts over 10,000 visitors every year.
In addition to dishes, the festival can be an excellent opportunity to listen to Maori music and see well-performed haka, which can be truly inspiring.
Some examples of dishes offered during the festival include hangi meals, seafood and wild pork meat served up for the occasion in special flax baskets.
Te Rā o Waitangi
This is one of the festivals organised in the South Island. It is organised every year on Waitangi day in Wellington and aims to celebrate Maori tunes, food and art while celebrating the national holiday.
Among other things, the festival includes impressive haka performances as well as interactive activities for adults and children, so you can go there with your entire family.
Attendance of the festival is completely free and it lasts from the morning till the evening, so you will have enough take to take part in lots of activities and discover lots of amazing things about Maori.
The New Zealand Festival of the Arts
This festival taking place every two years in Wellington is one of the most influential festivals in the south island and the entire country.
It encompasses music, theatre, art and culture in general, promoting both traditional and contemporary forms of expression.
During the three-week festival, festivalgoers can see lots of beautiful shows and exhibitions and learn lots of new facts about the Maori community and its creative traditions.
For example, in 2018, the festival was opened with Waka Odyssey, an epic performance about the famous explorer Kupe. It was staged at Wellington's waterfront with real ships and gathered over 20,000 people.
The last edition of the festival was organised in 2022 but some events had to be scaled down or cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. But since the pandemic seems to be gradually easing off, the 2024 edition is set to become a huge celebration.
If you are interested in the arts and want to attend the festival, it can be a good idea to start monitoring the news about it right now to be able to see the best performances and events.
Maketu Kaimoana Festival
Kaimoana means seafood in Maori and if you are fond of that kind of food, Maketu, a small town in the Bay of Plenty, can become an excellent destination for you.
Every February, the town holds a kaimoana festival, which offers lots of insights into Maori culture, cuisine and traditions. You can taste lots of outstanding dishes and meet the people who have made them.
In addition to seafood, Maketu is famous for its pies which attract people from all around the world. So, even if you have eaten too much seafood at some point, there'll still be amazing things to eat.
Tāmaki Herenga Waka Festival
This celebration is organised as part of Auckland Anniversary Weekend Events and is entirely dedicated to Maori culture.
It offers the opportunity to discover local Maori arts, crafts, storytelling traditions and haka dances, putting a special stress on history.
Whether you want to just see new surprising shows or explore Maori traditions in detail, Tāmaki Herenga Waka Festival can be the right occasion for you. You are bound to meet lots of talented people, who'll share their passion with you.
And if at some point, you want to put your language skills into practice, that's definitely the right setting. Find out the best Maori greetings on our blog.
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