Matariki Ki Waikato 2025: Festival brings array of events to the region

The Matariki star cluster.

The Matariki Ki Waikato Festival is back for 2025 with a wide range of events to celebrate the Māori New Year.

Matariki Ki Waikato chairwoman Marleina Ruka (Raukawa, Ngāti Kurī, Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa) said the festival was designed to engage people of all ages and backgrounds.

“Across every event, there’s an open invitation to connect, reflect, and reset for the year ahead.

“Even if Matariki is new to you, this is a chance to learn, celebrate, and discover how it can bring meaning into your life and whānau.”

The festival kicked off last week when about 300 guests attended the opening dawn ceremony at the Hamilton Gardens.

The annual ceremony honours the birth of King Korokī and marks the Māori New Year with Whāngai i te Hautapu, a moment to acknowledge loved ones who have passed.

The festival runs until July 13 and is a celebration of unity, remembrance and renewal.

There will be around 50 events in Hamilton and the wider region, including in Pōkeno, Putāruru, Kāwhia, Tokoroa and Te Aroha.

The programme ranges from arts and music to hauora (wellbeing), taiao (environment) and Mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge), and of course includes the annual market day and kite day.

Matariki became a national holiday in 2022 and coincides with the appearance of the Matariki star cluster which is known iternationally as the Pleiades.

It signals the Māori New Year and carries deep spiritual and seasonal significance.

The Matariki Ki Waikato festival is delivered by Te Ohu Whakaita, a charitable trust founded in 2009 to strengthen community connection through cultural celebration.

For the whole events programme, visit the Matariki Ki Waikato Facebook page and website at matarikiwaikato.nz.