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Te Matatini is a nationwideMāori performing arts festival and competition forkapa haka performers from all ofNew Zealand andAustralia. The name was given by ProfessorWharehuia Milroy, a composite ofTe Mata meaning "the face" andtini denoting "many" — hence the meaning ofTe Matatini is "many faces".[1]
The Te Matatini festival is held every two years in different regions of New Zealand. Authority (mana) is given to different tribes (iwi) to host the festival. For example, in 2017 themana was given toTe Whanganui-a-Tara on behalf of theNgāti Kahungunu (Heretaunga) region.
Mead (2003) explains: Mana is undergone by a set of rules before it is given, the people or person in charge has to accept these constraints and strive to rise above them in order to do the job that is set before them.
Te Matatini is seen[by whom?] as playing a very important role within Māoridom in promoting thetikanga of the Māori culture andkapa haka. It provides a valuable experience for the people of New Zealand and others from all around the world, with the festival attracting up to 30,000 participants and spectators. Te Matatini celebrates the Māori culture, its beauty, and its core values. Kapa haka is a form of Māori identity and contributes to New Zealand being unique.
The Te Matatini Society is the driving force behind Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival. Initially emerging in the late 1960s, it has evolved into the sponsor of a variety of Māori festivals and Polynesian events. The society in its current form was established in 1972 and has focused on the long term nurturing of Māori performing arts.[2]
The most recent kapa haka competition, Te Matatini 2025, was held inNew Plymouth at the Bowl of Brooklands from 25 February to 1 March 2025, hosted by Te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki/Whanganui regional authority.[3]
| Region (rohe) | Delegate | Committee | Chairperson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Te Tai Tokerau | Thomas Strickland | Waitangi Cultural Society Inc | Ropata Diamond |
| Tāmaki Makaurau | Annette Wehi | Tāmaki Makaurau Senior Kapa Haka Society Inc | Paora Sharples |
| Tainui | Paraone Gloyne | Tainui Waka Cultural Trust | N/A |
| Mataatua | Te Kahautu Maxwell | Mataatua Kapa Haka Inc | Te Kahautu Maxwell |
| Te Arawa | Dan Vaka | Te Arawa Charitable Trust | N/A |
| Te Tairāwhiti | Maui Tangohau | Tairāwhiti Cultural Development Trust Inc | N/A |
| Ngāti Kahungunu | Hira Huata | Ngāti Kahungunu Rūnanga Arts & Culture Board | N/A |
| Te Kāhui Maunga (formerly Aotea) | Rawiri Tinirau | Te Kāhui Maunga Regional Kapa Haka Committee | N/A |
| Rangitāne | Chris Whaiapu | Rangitāne Māori Cultural Arts Society Inc | N/A |
| Te Whanganui ā Tara | Te Teira Davis | Wellington Māori Cultural Society | N/A |
| Te Tau Ihu | Tom Alesana | Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka a Maui Māori Culture Council | N/A |
| Waitaha | Junior Tana | Ngā Pākihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha Cultural Council | N/A |
| Te Whenua Moemoeā (Australia) | Ihaka Cotter | Ngā Kapa Taumata Teitei (Māori Performing Arts Australia) Inc | N/A |
| Day | Events | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pōwhiri by local hosts (tangata whenua) | All kapa haka performers, supporters, dignitaries and visitors are welcomed by the local hosts. |
| 2 - 4 | Pool Rounds | |
| 5 | The Finals (Te Matangirua) | The finalists are judged anew to determine third, second and the new Toa Whakaihuwaka (overall winner of the competition) |
Prizes are awarded on the final competition day. Across the five days, each team are judged against set criteria, by expert judges, appointed from around New Zealand.
The performances are made up of different disciplines and each haka group is required to perform six disciplines within their performance piece or bracket - whakaeke (a choreographed entry), mōteatea (traditional chant), poi (light ball swung on the end of a rope), waiata-ā-ringa (action song), haka and whakawātea (exit). They must perfect every discipline in a polished 25-minute performance.
| Discipline | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Waiata tira (optional) | The choral is used to warm up the group or is good to putrangimarie (peace) upon the group to settle nerves. This item is optional and not compulsory. |
| Whakaeke (entrance song) | This is where groups can make a statement in which who they are, where they come from, what the purpose is. It involves a lot of movement and choreography around the stage and involves much discipline. |
| Mōteatea | The mōteatea is a traditional chant or dirge, however, there are more contemporary styles being used in the more present times. |
| Waiata-ā-ringa | The action song is where performers are using hand and body actions, much emphasis is placed on the hands, face, body and eyes to combine actions to words of the song. Ngata & Armstrong (2002) state that,“the action song is not a series of drill movements but a rhythmic expression of moods and emotions” (p. 9). |
| Poi | Thepoi is an item that is done mostly by women, but can be done by men. This item is known for its gracefulness and poise, utilising a poi (round ball) connected to a plaited cord that exhibits beauty and style. |
| Haka | Tānerore, "the offspring of Te Rā and Hineraumati gave the personification of hot quivering air, who danced in the summer heat, which was known asTe Haka a Tānerore (the haka of Tanerore" (Reed, 2004, p. 399). Thehaka is also used to make a statement against political matters, issues in Māori society, and barriers and challenges that Māori face today. It is also known as an expression of New Zealand identity. Karetu (1993) states that "of the Māori dance repertoire it can be said that the haka is the most eagerly anticipated wherever there is a performance" (pg. 80). |
| Whakawātea | The item is the exit song for the group. This gives the group the opportunity to leave a final statement, and reinforce what they came to do, who they are and thank thetangata whenua ‘home people’ for hosting the event. |
| Te Reo | Also known as the Māori language, this discipline is the pinnacle of all disciplines. |
| Manukura Wahine/Manukura Tāne or Kaitataki Wahine/Kaitataki Tāne | Female and male leaders where both show their roles from on and off the stage. These include;karanga (the calling),mihimihi (speeches), how the leaders present themselves within their groups in terms of leadership and how they carry themselves for the group. |
| Kākahu | This is the dress form, groups are judged on dress style. This item recognises the skills of weavers, moko and tuhi kiri (tattoo) artists, and carvers. |
| Year | Roopu (Group) | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Te Kapa Haka oNgāti Whakaue | Te Kāhui Maunga (New Plymouth) |
| 2023 | Te Kapa Haka oTe Whānau-ā-Apanui | Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) |
| 2019 | Ngā Tūmanako | Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) |
| 2017 | Whāngārā-mai-Tawhiti | Heretaunga (Hastings) |
| 2015 | Te Kapa Haka oTe Whānau-ā-Apanui | Ōtautahi (Christchurch) |
| 2013 | Te Waka Huia | Te Arawa (Rotorua) |
| 2011 | Te Mātārae i Ōrehu | Te Tairāwhiti (Gisborne) |
| 2009 | Te Waka Huia | Tauranga Moana/Mataatua (Mt. Maunganui) |
| 2007 | Whangarā Mai Tawhiti | Rangitāne (Palmerston North) |
| 2005 | Te Kapa Haka oTe Whanau-a-Apanui | Rangitāne (Palmerston North) |
| 2002 | Waihirere | Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) |
| 2000 | Te Mātārae i Ōrehu | Tainui (Ngāruawāhia) |
| 1998 | Waihirere | Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Upper Hutt) |
| 1996 | Ngāti Rangiwewehi | Te Arawa (Rotorua) |
| 1994 | Te Waka Huia | Hāwera (Taranaki) |
| 1992 | Te Waka Huia | Tainui (Ngāruawāhia) |
| 1990 | Te Roopu Manutaki | Te Tai Tokerau (Waitangi) |
| 1988 | Waihirere | Te Tai Tokerau (Whangārei) |
| 1986 | Te Waka Huia | Ōtautahi (Christchurch) |
| 1983 | Ngāti Rangiwewehi | Heretaunga (Hastings) |
| 1981 | Taniwharau | Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) |
| 1979 | Waihirere | Te Tairāwhiti (Gisborne) |
| 1977 | Te Kotahitanga o Waitaha | Waitaha (Christchurch) |
| 1975 | Te Roopu Manutaki | Te Tai Tokerau (Whangārei) |
| 1973 | Mawai Hakona | Te Arawa (Rotorua) |
| 1972 | Waihirere | Te Tairawhiti (Gisborne) |
