Wai, Kai & Kapa Haka – A Matariki Celebration At Matakana Village

Matakana Village will once again be the beating heart of Matariki celebrations in Auckland’s Rodney District on Friday June 20. 

Set beside the Matakana River, where freshwater meets the sea, Wai, Kai & Kapa Haka – A Matariki Celebration at Matakana Village is also the perfect location to honour Matariki 2025’s theme "Matariki ki te Wai" which translates to "Matariki and Water". 

The four-hour programme from 11am to 3pm is packed with activities that embrace the spiritual and life-giving connection between people and water in te ao Māori, drawing inspiration from the stars Waitī (freshwater), Waitā (saltwater), and Waipuna-ā-rangi (rain) within the Matariki cluster. 

It’s a day to experience the beauty and meaning of Matariki through immersive cultural moments, hands-on fun, and incredible kai – all in the heart of Matakana Village. 

A partnership between Matakana Village & Farmers Market and the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust for a third year running, the event pays testament to tradition, embracing Matariki in a meaningful way and providing a place to reflect, reset, and come together as whānau. 

There will be a Kapa Haka performance from Matakana School, live music, storytelling, and plenty of whānau-friendly activities including a special collaboration with Friends of Awa Matakanakana (FOAM) to reflect on the role our rivers, estuaries and moana play in our lives, and how we can protect them for generations to come. (FOAM’s principal aim is the restoration and maintenance of a healthy Sandspit Estuary and the two rivers that feed into it, Matakana River and Glen Eden River.) 

Attendees can expect to savour delicious kai, shop Māori crafts, partake in Matariki-inspired face painting, and learn more about the significance of the Matariki star cluster and the beautiful traditions that surround it. 

Matakana Village contemporary Māori design gallery Unity Collection is also hosting a three-hour weaving – Kono Basket Creation – wānanga* with designer and traditional Māori weaver Anastasia Rickard from 10am to 1pm. 

WHERE AND WHEN 

Friday, 20th June

• Matariki Market 11am to 3pm, Matakana Village – open to everyone.
• Unity Collection x Anastasia Rickard Kono Basket Creation Weaving Workshop 10am to 1pm – Bookings Essential

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