Tāmaki Makaurau the heart of Matariki 2026 celebrations

As Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei prepares to host the national Matariki hautapu, one wahine who has spent over two decades helping shape the celebrations says every year more New Zealanders are getting on board.

Matariki ki te Manawa Pou Auaha creative director Ataahua Papa said the growing popularity of Matariki reflected an increasing interest from New Zealanders to engage with Māori culture, language and mātauranga.

"I've been working on kaupapa Matariki for about 20 years," she told RNZ.

"The most important thing for me is that Matariki is a time where Māori are celebrated. It's a time where kaupapa Māori, ahurea Māori, reo Māori - everything Māori - is celebrated by not just Māori."

Matariki ki te Manawa, Auckland Live's annual month-long programme of art, storytelling and cultural experiences is set to transform Auckland's city centre. It began on 15 June and runs till 21 July.

One of the most encouraging changes she had witnessed over the years had been the growing number of non-Māori attending Matariki events.

"It's an important time of the year, especially now with the introduction of the new holiday, where people who are not Māori are able to participate and be welcomed into kaupapa Māori so that they get a better understanding.

"We're growing mātauranga and we're growing māramatanga. That's the biggest part for me."

She recalls a time when organisers actively encouraged people to attend dawn ceremonies and cultural events, assuring them they would be welcomed.

Now, she said, people were seeking those opportunities out themselves.

"We have people reaching out to us to say, 'When is the next karakia? Where is it going to be? What time do we have to be there?'"

Schools were bringing students, whānau were attending together, and increasing numbers of people were choosing to learn more about the kaupapa.

"It's not something to highlight differences, but it's something to bring us together."

Papa believed kaupapa like Matariki ki te Manawa created opportunities for connection through shared understanding.

"It's important for us to be inclusive of everybody that's around us," she said.

"We can't operate in this world by segregating ourselves away from other factions of the community. And so the more that we can foster the sharing of knowledge and the sharing of māramatanga, the sharing of mātauranga, the better off I think we'll be as a community.

"We've seen lots of trials and tribulations being aimed at Māori over the last few years. But we've also seen a big, huge increase of support for kaupapa Māori, for Māori in general. People who understand actually if it's good for Māori, it's good for Aotearoa.

"Here's a way that we can come together. And I think kotahitanga is the key at this point in our current climate."

That sense of kotahitanga (unity) was reflected in this year's theme, Tāmaki Herenga Waka, Herenga Tāngata - a reference to Auckland's long-standing identity as a gathering place for people and cultures from many places.

"Because Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have been given the honour of hosting the national hautapu, that is Tāmaki Herenga Waka," Papa said.

"Every year the theme is different. The whakaaro is different ... But this year, because it's coming to Tāmaki, and Tāmaki is Herenga Waka, Herenga Tāngata, it takes off that kōrero that relates specifically to Tāmaki Makaurau and applies it to the national setting."

This year would see the return of Tūrama on Queen Street, tracing the story of the ancient Waihorotiu stream beneath the city, ARawhetū, an augmented reality star trail connecting Aotea Square and Myers Park, and Tūhono, a new waterfront light trail led by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

Some of Aotearoa's best kaiwaiata would also take stage at Ngā Reo o te Rangi: Voices of the Stars at the Auckland Town Hall on 10 July, headlined by Stan Walker with Maisey Rika, Troy Kingi and a keynote from Dr Rangi Mātāmua.

Visitors could also take part in guided walking tours, experience large-scale art installations and attend performances as part of the wider Matariki Festival.

Papa said the programme had been designed to give visitors a uniquely Tāmaki Makaurau experience while encouraging them to engage with Māori stories and perspectives.

"We know that this national hautapu is going to bring people in from out of town.

"We know there are international visitors who will be coming because they want to experience Matariki."

Matariki ki te Manawa offered a chance to connect with the stories of the city while creating lasting memories, she said.

"If these people are coming to Tāmaki Makaurau, here's something for you to be part of. Here's something for you to experience that might be a little bit different, that will stick in your memory and create memories for you and your whānau."

While Matariki celebrations were taking place across Auckland, from libraries and community centres to marae and public spaces, Papa said the city centre programme served as a gateway into the wider kaupapa.

"It really is a way for people to be immersed into this kaupapa for a little while, for a little part of the year. But we'll create memories going forward until next year when Matariki comes again."

For those wanting to learn more, Papa said one of the most important things people could do was simply ask questions.

"It's always about mātauranga, it's always about mōhiotanga, but it's mostly about māramatanga."