Te Matatini
Te Matatini is a nationwide Māori performing arts festival and competition for kapa haka performers from all of New Zealand and Australia. The name was given by Professor Wharehuia Milroy, a composite of mata meaning "face" and tini denoting "many" — hence the meaning of Te Matatini is "the many faces".
The Te Matatini festival is held every two years in different regions of New Zealand. Authority (mana) is given to different tribes (iwi) to host the festival. For example, in 2017 the mana was given to Te Whanganui-a-Tara on behalf of the Ngāti Kahungunu (Heretaunga) region.
Mead (2003) explains: Mana is undergone by a set of rules before it is given, the people or person in charge has to accept these constraints and strive to rise above them in order to do the job that is set before them.
Te Matatini celebrates the Māori culture, its beauty, and its core values. Kapa haka is a form of Māori identity and contributes to New Zealand being unique.
The Te Matatini Society is the driving force behind Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival. Initially emerging in the late 1960s, it has evolved into the sponsor of a variety of Māori festivals and Polynesian events. The society in its current form was established in 1972 and has focused on the long term nurturing of Māori performing arts.
The most recent kapa haka competition, Te Matatini 2025, was held in New Plymouth at the Bowl of Brooklands from 25 February to 1 March 2025, hosted by Te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki/Whanganui regional authority.
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