Performers from Muriwhenua kapa haka at the 2025 event. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf
The next Te Matatini festival - the largest kapa haka competition in the world - will not be hosted in Te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Māui / Nelson.
Te Matatini Society Incorporated, which runs the biennial haka tournament, announced on Monday it was looking for expressions of interest to host the event in 2027.
Te Matatini board chair Tā Herewini Parata said the board made the decision on Friday amid concerns around the ability of smaller regions to accommodate a rapidly growing festival.
"As the festival continues to grow in size and significance, the planning, hosting and delivery of Te Matatini must respond to that growth.
"While this decision may be disappointing for many, we have had to be realistic and seriously reevaluate the risks of holding Te Matatini in its current format in smaller regions."
Parata said Te Matatini had completed a comprehensive evaluation and while Te Tauihu had worked hard to find solutions to deliver the festival at its current size, concerns remained around accommodation, transport and freight capabilities.
Te Tauihi was originally scheduled to host the event in 2025, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2021 festival in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, pushing the schedule out by two years.
Sonny Alesana. Photo: Supplied
Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui Māori Cultural Council chairperson Sonny Alesana said while the decision was disappointing, they understood and remained hopeful Te Tauihu would have the opportunity to host in the future.
"Yes, we are disappointed, but we also understand the pressure Te Matatini is under, both in terms of its growth and the financial implications of that.
"We understand there remains widespread support, willingness, and commitment for Te Tauihu and the other smaller rohe to host in the future once Te Matatini has established a more sustainable format and framework for the event."
Alesana said the region was committed to continuing to work with Te Matatini to make sure Te Tauihu does have its time in the sun and smaller regions were not automatically disqualified from hosting.
"Te Tauihu can stand proud; we successfully hosted Te Mana Kuratahi in 2023 and the national secondary schools kapa haka festival, Te Huinga Whetū - Ngā Kapa Haka o Ngā Kura Tuarua o Aotearoa in 2024, welcoming a combined 35,000 manuhiri. Our work together with our iwi and our councils has strengthened our partnerships, our volunteer base and our kapa haka communities. For that, we are grateful.
"With the communities of Mohua, Te Tai o Aorere, Whakatū and Marlborough behind us, we are confident the region is up to the job of hosting Te Matatini in the future, and we look forward to continuing discussions to that end."
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