TVNZ and Whakaata Māori are partnering to bring New Zealand’s largest Māori performing arts festival, Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga 2025, to viewers across the motu.
Together with Pango Productions and funding from Te Māngai Pāho, the festival will be available live and free-to-air, giving audiences more access than ever before.
“Having Whakaata Māori and TVNZ onboard for Te Matatini 2025 is a significant triumph as it means the power and beauty of Kapa Haka at the most elite level can be enjoyed by everyone,” says Te Matatini Chairman, Tā Herewini Parata.
The highly anticipated competition has been extended to five days from 25 February – 1 March. Viewers will be able to enjoy all the action of the incredible kapa haka on Whakaata Māori and Māori+, and TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+.
Te Matatini Te Manahautū | Chief Executive Carl Ross says “returning to the open arms of Taranaki, Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga 2025 will be the biggest national kapa haka festival ever held. With the highest number of groups qualifying - 55, we have added an extra day to the programme. This partnership will ensure viewers won’t miss a thing.”
Te Reo Tātaki Chief Content Officer, Nevak Rogers (Rongowhakaata, Te Whānau a Apanui, Whakatōhea, Tongan), says, “we had the privilege of bringing viewers Te Matatini in 2023, showcasing high-quality kapa haka, reo Māori and culture for all to enjoy. Our coverage saw record audiences tune into the competition and I’m thrilled to see the continued growth of Māori performing arts with the highest number of groups taking the stage from Aotearoa and Australia next month.
Whakaata Māori Kaiurungi Pāpāho, Director of Content and Audience Engagement, Maria Barlow, says, “Te Matatini is more than a festival – it is the heartbeat of te ao Māori, a living expression of our ancestors’ aspirations, and a vibrant celebration of our future. Through kapa haka, we elevate our reo, our tikanga, and the stories that connect whānau, communities, and Aotearoa, brought to life by the extraordinary artistry of our kaihaka.”
Te Reo Tātaki’s Manukura Māori, Scotty Morrison, and Mātai Smith will lead TVNZ’s presenting line-up alongside reporters Te Rauhiringa Brown and Stacey Morrison. A rotating panel of guests will also be onsite to provide analysis and highlights in between performances, and to speak to the history of the host region, Taranaki.
Te Karere will broadcast from the festival, each weekday from 4pm, with Scotty hosting live on the ground in New Plymouth. Reporting will also take place across TVNZ’s full suite of news and current affairs programming.
Both Whakaata Māori and Te Reo Tātaki have been part of the Te Matatini history for more than 50 years. Together, with support from Te Māngai Pāho, Whakaata Māori and Te Reo Tātaki cater to the different fluency levels and deliver to the broadest audience possible – from the die-hard fans to those who are new to kapa haka revolution.
Television viewers will be able to tune in to Te Matatini’s Haka Translate service to hear translations and the meaning of compositions of all the waiata in English. On the final’s day, Haka Translate will be available in five additional languages: Mandarin, Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, Cook Island Māori and an audio description, via the Te Matatini Festival app.