The Aronui Arts Festival Matariki drone show returns to the Rotorua Lakefront this June. Video / Kaponga Productions
Note: Due to weather conditions, Aronui Arts Festival has postponed Thursday night’s Drone Show. The Night Market will still run as planned from 5pm until 9pm Thursday night, the Rotorua Lakes Council posted on its Facebook page. The drone show will go ahead as scheduled on Friday
RotoruaMatariki celebrations promise to leave locals and visitors alike feeling “enriched and inspired” this long weekend.
From a sacred Hautapu dawn ceremony led by Ngāti Whakaue to the return of a spectacular drone show at the Lakefront – the schedule is jam-packed.
“We want people to walk away feeling enriched and inspired, as well as gaining a greater understanding and appreciation for te ao Māori,” said RotoruaNZ chief executive Andrew Wilson.
He said the Rotorua Lakefront Hautapu was an especially “significant cultural moment,” and felt “privileged that it’s open to the community”.
Matariki is a constellation of stars that appears in the night sky in the middle of winter, bringing the lunar year to a close and heralding the start of the Māori New Year – Te Tau Hou Māori.
This star cluster, also known as the Pleiades, is given the Māori name Matariki, which translates to the “eyes of God” (mata ariki) or “little eyes” (mata riki).
Wilson said Rotorua was recognised as “the heart of Māori cultural experiences in Aotearoa” and the Matariki offerings reflected this.
“With Te Arawa iwi at the centre, visitors can experience some of the best Māori storytelling, performance and hospitality in the world,” he said.
He said there was a steady growth in interest and participation over the past few years.
Wilson said locals and visitors alike were embracing this special time of year and that the tourism and economic development agency was actively promoting Matariki events to visitors from outside the region.
“We’d love to see Matariki in Rotorua become a must-see calendar of events for all New Zealanders.”
Rotorua’s events aimed to reflect the meaning of the season, Wilson said.
“Matariki is a time to reflect, reset, and reconnect – with each other, with our environment, and with the past and future.”
The drone shows return after drawing more than 30,000 people last year, Aronui marketing and events manager James Wyllie-Miln said.
Wyllie-Miln said last year saw “a huge influx of visitors” and this year’s show was expected to be “even bigger”.
The drone show would have a new narrative crafted by Ngāti Whakaue and Te Arawa artists, as well as an extended night market, he said.
Eugene Temara, lead singer of 1814 and kaihaka of Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue, the winners of Te Matatini 2025.
He said hundreds of drones would tell the stories of Matariki and move in harmony with live narration, taonga puoro [traditional Māori musical instruments] and a soundscape created by artists Dr Anaha Hiini and Riki Bennett.
Hiini said the show would be educational and inspirational, “helping people not only to understand Matariki, but to feel its presence, its history, and its relevance in our lives today”.
Aronui’s Te Mātahi o Te Tau music celebration on Saturday will be headlined by reggae band 1814.
Lead singer Eugene Temara is also a kaihaka [performer] with Te Matatini 2025 champions Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue, who will open the show with Nikau Grace and a tribute to the late Tā Bom Gillies and the 28th Māori Battalion.
Rotorua was the seventh most-searched Matariki weekend destination in New Zealand on holiday booking site Booking.com, a statement from the company said.
Aura Accommodation assistant manager Chloe Clark said their bookings had filled up quite a bit in the past week.
The business was about 80% booked for the long weekend, and she expected it keep filling up.
The Arts Village mana whakahaere (director) Kellez Mcmanus said the organisation was holding a “spectacular” outdoor light exhibition inspired by Matariki, named Te Pō Kitakita: Exhibition of Light. It was free, accessible, and open to all, she said.
“This vibrant event honours the rising of the Matariki star cluster — a time of reflection, renewal, and connection to whānau, whenua, and wairua,“ Mcmanus said.
“Through a diverse range of light installations, interactive displays, and performances, we will celebrate the beauty of Māori culture and its rich traditions while creating a welcoming, inclusive space for all.”
What’s happening in Rotorua:
Te Pō Kitakita - Exhibition of Light – A free outdoor light exhibition that includes interactive light sculptures, live music and hands-on workshops, exploring the significance of Matariki through art and storytelling. On Thursday and Friday from 5pm to 7pm at The Arts Village.
Matariki Flavours Buffet – Seasonal dishes inspired by Matariki at Te Puia’s exclusive Pātaka Kai buffet, every Thursday and Friday in June.
Aronui Arts Festival Drone Shows – Captivating Matariki storytelling experiences featuring drones, light and sound displays on Friday from 8pm at the Rotorua Lakefront.
Rotorua Night Market – An expanded market with kai, crafts and stalls from past Aronui Māori Market vendors, alongside regular favourites, coinciding with the drone shows at the Rotorua Lakefront.
Ngāti Whakaue Hautapu – Iwi-led, traditional Matariki New Year ceremony held on Friday morning at Whakatāhuna Ngaru, a specific area of the Rotorua Lakefront.
Matariki Hautapu Ceremony – A sacred dawn ceremony of remembrance, gratitude, and renewal, held on Friday at Te Puia.
Whānau Fun Day at Te Puia – An interactive celebration for the whole family with activities and entertainment on Friday at Te Puia.
Te Mātahi o te Tau featuring 1814 – Celebrate the Māori New Year with live music from 1814, supported by Jordyn with a Why and R67, on Saturday at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre.
Matariki Glow Show – A free, bilingual theatre performance for tamariki, on Sunday at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre.
Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.
