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Ngāti Tamaoho and Auckland Council have unveiled the first details of the 2026 Matariki Festival, with more than 100 free and low-cost events planned across Tāmaki Makaurau.
This year’s Matariki Festival, taking place July 4 -19, will feature a range of community events, exhibitions and workshops across the region with three pou events highlighting key days of the festival as determined by the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar.
The theme for this year’s festival is Matariki ki te Rangi, Matariki in the Sky, which will focus on celestial knowledge, aspiration and renewal.
Ngāti Tamaoho invites Aucklanders and visitors to consider ngā whetū (the stars) and how they contribute to our wellbeing.
“Matariki reminds us of our responsibility as kaitiaki (guardians) of the taiao (natural surroundings), moana (ocean) and whetū (stars),” it says.
Auckland Council says this year’s Matariki Festival will continue to grow over the coming weeks with more events and activities still to be announced as part of the wider regional programme.
“Matariki is a special time when our communities come together to deepen their understanding of te ao Māori and to celebrate the Māori New Year,” says Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown.
“The Matariki Festival is a cherished part of Auckland’s events calendar, and we’re proud to collaborate with Ngāti Tamaoho to deliver this year’s programme.”
Ngāti Tamaoho Settlement Trust chair Tori Ngataki says Matariki Festival 2026 is an opportunity to bring people together through mātauranga Māori and to strengthen connections with each other and the world around us.
“As we conclude our three-year partnership with Auckland Council, we are proud to continue sharing the richness of Matariki traditions and the unique perspectives of Ngāti Tamaoho,” she says.
“The theme, Matariki ki te Rangi, invites us to look upward to the stars, reflect on our aspirations, honour those who have gone before us, and consider our responsibility as kaitiaki of our whenua, moana and taiao.
“We welcome all who call Auckland home and visitors to come and celebrate, learn and connect during this special time.”
The first pou event, Matariki ki te Maunga, on July 4 is a dawn karakia led by Ngāti Tamaoho to mark the start of the Matariki Festival and the rising of Matariki.
The second pou event on 10 and 11 July is Te Hui Ahurei o Matariki, which will take place at the historic Nathan Homestead and Ngā Hau e Whā Marae o Pukekohe. It will be fun-filled days celebrating the Matariki public holiday with kai, performances, kites, markets and kapa haka.
“Look to Rangi as vibrant, wind-swept kites fill the sky above Ngā Hau e Whā Marae o Pukekohe during Whakarewa Manu – Kite Day on July 11.”
Te Korakora ki Waihorotiu, the third pou event, will bring the festival to a memorable close on July 18 at Shed 10 on Auckland’s Queens Wharf, with a powerful music line-up honouring the past, celebrating the present and looking to the future. Audiences can expect a vibrant celebration of culture, connection and unforgettable performances.
The full Matariki Festival 2026 programme will be announced in early June.
