Te Matatini O Te Kāhui Maunga 2025 - Starts Today On Whakaata Māori And Māori+

Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga - Tākiri ko te Haka 2025 starts today on The Home of Haka. Whakaata Māori is proud to deliver its most extensive coverage yet, with more action, more opinion, more analysis and more ways to watch than ever before.

Te Pōwhiri o Te Matatini - Exclusive LIVE coverage will begin today at 10am with the pōwhiri to welcome all kapa haka groups competing at Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga and their support teams. Coverage is LIVE from 10am across Whakaata Māori (Freeview Channel 5, Sky Channel 19), MĀORI+, Whakaata Māori TikTok and Te Ao Māori News platforms. The competition starts tomorrow and runs over five intense days from 25 February to 1 March 2025 at Bowl of Brooklands, Pukekura Park, Ngāmotu.

After a five-year absence from Whakaata Māori screens, Kaihautū Shane Taurima says viewers can look forward to an unforgettable showcase of the best kapa haka in the world.

““We are honoured to welcome Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga 2025 back to the Home of Haka, where the heartbeat of our people, our reo, and our tikanga will be felt across the motu and beyond. This is more than a competition—it is a stage for excellence, a showcase of our resilience, and a moment of unity through haka and waiata.”

“Whakaata Māori is committed to bringing every performance, every story, and every emotion to life, ensuring that our culture shines brighter than ever,” say Shane Taurima.

Join broadcasters Julian Wilcox (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa), Peata Melbourne (Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou) and Oriini Kaipara (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau and Ngāti Rangitihi) as they anchor our immersive te reo me ngā tikanga Māori coverage across our Whakaata Māori and MĀORI+ platforms with additional insights and analysis coming from a rotation of haka experts.

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The Home of Haka – Audiences can immerse themselves in the real road to Te Matatini on MĀORI+. From all of the action from Haka Regionals 2024 to insightful Haka Life series. Stay across all the action by following us on Te Ao Māori News and Whakaata Māori social media and catch Tahu Hollis of The Mish Aotearoa exploring the Taranaki region, sharing stories on Whakaata Māori TUKU platform.

Last year the Kapa Haka Regionals on MĀORI+ generated more than 1.6 million video views.

Expect more from our Te Matatini 2025 coverage:

• Te Matatini 2025 Pōwhiri - Exclusive broadcast coverage across Whakaata Māori (Freeview Channel 5, Sky Channel 19), MĀORI+, Whakaata Māori TikTok and Te Ao Māori News platforms.
• LIVE and Uninterrupted: Never miss a moment of the action as we take you behind the scenes between performances and cover all the excitement of the festival.
• Kai haka commentary and insights: Kōrero with esteemed experts, providing context and deeper appreciation of the performances.
• Comprehensive LIVE & On-Demand Access: Tune in LIVE via television, MĀORI+ app and māoriplus.co.nz and social media for extensive coverage across multiple platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube. Never miss a minute with group performances available on demand across the day on MĀORI+.

The current Te Matatini champions are Te Whānau-a-Apanui.

Join us from 25 February to 1 March to see who will be Toa Whakaihuwaka of 2025.

About Whakaata Māori: Whakaata Māori is Aotearoa New Zealand’s national indigenous media organisation, dedicated to revitalising and empowering te reo Māori, culture, and identity through storytelling. Guided by the vision, kia mauriora te reo - a future where te reo Māori is spoken everywhere, every day - Whakaata Māori fosters an environment where the language and its cultural heritage can thrive.

For 21 years, Whakaata Māori has delivered some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most cherished content, connecting audiences with stories that celebrate and uplift te reo Māori and Māori culture.

Māori Television trades under its reo Māori name to better reflect the role it plays in revitalising te reo Māori, our culture, and sharing our stories across multiple platforms. Whakaata means 'to mirror', 'to reflect' or 'to display.’

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