Ngapuhi Festival to be huge

Artists such as Sons of Zion and Maisey Rika (pictured) will be performing at the festival.

Northland's biggest festival is expected to bring a welcome multi-million-dollar boost to the Mid North economy later this month.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to head home to Kaikohe on January 25-26 for the Ngapuhi Festival - the country's largest tribe's two-day celebration of culture, kai and music in the grounds of Northland College.

The event is a chance for members of the far-flung tribe to return to their roots and reconnect with friends and whanau. The 2012 festival drew an estimated 40,000 people to Kaikohe, making it Northland's biggest gathering of the year.

Firm numbers as to the festival's economic impact are hard to come by but a Far North District Council report found the 2010 festival, which drew 30,000 people, pumped $4 million into Northland's economy.

This year's event is likely to be even bigger and includes up to 50 international indigenous artists joining 40 Maori artists in Toi Ngapuhi, an art exhibition and series of wananga held in conjunction with the festival.

Kaikohe Business Association chairman Steve Sangster said with such a large Ngapuhi diaspora heading home for the festival, the spin-offs for Kaikohe would be huge.

"It's a very positive opportunity for the community, and one that comes around only once every two years."

The association was hoping to work with the iwi to promote Kaikohe and the festival, especially in Auckland where many of the tribe's 120,000 members lived.

This year's line-up includes reggae acts Sons of Zion, 1814 and Soljah as well as top singer-songwriters Maisey Rika, Ria Hall, Whirimako Black and Betty Ann Monga performing under the banner of the Honour Matariki Collaboration. Other
performers include Paua, Majic, Riders of the West Wind featuring Wayne Mason, Manotangiwairua and Beyondsemble.

A series of wananga led by experts on Ngapuhitanga (Ngapuhi culture) and international guests will cover topics such as Ngapuhi tikanga and reo, while more than 100 stalls will offer traditional kai, arts, crafts and information.

The festival theme is "Ngapuhi reaching out to the world".

The festival is hosted by Te Runanga-a-iwi o Ngapuhi, alternating between Auckland and Kaikohe. Entry is free.