MEDIA RELEASE
TUESDAY 21st FEBRUARY, 2023
Record-breaking stalls set up shop at the 2023 Te Matatini Festival Marketplace
A total of 146 stalls will be onsite at the 2023 Te Matatini Herenga Waka Herenga Tangata National Kapa Haka Festival starting this Wednesday 22 February to 25 February.
Te Matatini Chief Executive Carl Ross says this year’s number of stalls is more than double any previous Te Matatini Festival.
The markets at Te Matatini will be separated into six villages:
Hauora (Health Village)
Ngā Toi Māori (Cultural and Creative Village)
Ngā wāhi kai me ngā wāhi whakatā (Food stalls and rest area)
Ngā Pakihi Māori (Māori businesses Village)
Mātauranga (Education Village)
Te Kāwanatanga (Government Village)
The theme of this year’s Te Matatini Festival Marketplace is the promotion and normalisation of te reo Māori, so that it is seen, heard, spoken and celebrated.
“Our stallholders will play an integral role in the market theme. They’ll help encourage and promote te reo Māori by having bilingual menus, products and price lists, staff who can kōrero Māori and other resources,” he says.
The Festival is a whānau friendly, smoke, and alcohol-free event. To support Te Matatini’s strategic goal to positively contribute to the health and wellbeing of Aotearoa, there will be no sugary fizzy drinks and deep-fried foods sold at the event.
The 2023 Te Matatini Festival Marketplace will be a reo Māori and eco-friendly environment where stallholders will offer customers recyclable and compostable packaging which aligns with both Te Matatini and Ngā Ana Wai Eden Park’s sustainability values.
“We look forward to seeing you and celebrating our country’s unique culture,” says Mr Ross. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster, or visit the official Te Matatini website for more information.