Te reo at all Sky Stadium events, starting with Six60 concert

Matiu Walters, lead singer of Six60, performing at Black Barn in January. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Te reo Māori messaging at all Sky Stadium events will begin on Saturday with the Six60 concert in Wellington.

Messaging at the concert, on February 13, will be in both English and te reo.

As Six60 fans make their way into the stadium, the entry and safety messaging played over the loudspeaker will be bi-lingual, voiced by Kahu Ropata (Māori) and Kendall Forbes (English).

The programme is a collaboration between Sky Stadium, the Māori Language Commission and WellingtonNZ.

Commission chief executive Ngahiwi Apanui said they would support te reo language journeys "no matter how big or small".

"We are delighted to see te reo Māori become a permanent part of Sky Stadium and look forward to other cities following suit."

WellingtonNZ events and experiences general manager Warrick Dent says Six60 were "leading the way" with the use of te reo in their songs, and the concert was a great way to kick off the initiative.

"It's a fantastic project to be involved with and a step towards Wellington becoming a te reo Māori city by 2040.

"We also plan to produce bespoke versions for specific sporting codes which use the stadium, as well as general versions suitable for multiple stadium events."

Six60 frontman Matiu Walters at Waitangi Day celebrations. Photo /Jodi Bryant

Sky Stadium chief executive Shane Harmon said the announcements were part of a wider move towards incorporating te reo, after they introduced bilingual signage last year.

"We were proud to change all our way finding signage across the venue to both te reo Māori and English in 2020 and the feedback has been very positive.

"Bi-lingual announcements are the next step in our support toward Wellington becoming a te reo Māori city."