Matariki Festival 2025 returns to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland with more than 90 events set to light up the region from 7 June to 13 July, celebrating te Māramataka (the Māori lunar calendar) and the rich cultural traditions of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Matariki marks the Māori New Year, celebrated with the rising of the Matariki star cluster (also known as Pleiades) in the winter skies of Aotearoa New Zealand. It is a time for reflection, remembrance, and renewal — honouring those who have passed, giving thanks for the harvest, and setting intentions for the year ahead. More than a celebration, Matariki reconnects communities with the natural world, traditional knowledge, and shared cultural values. Today, it’s observed through storytelling, kai (food), waiata (song), planting, and a growing calendar of events across the country, bringing people together to celebrate Aotearoa’s unique identity.
Ngāti Tamaoho presents Matariki Festival 2025 in partnership with Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland Council), offering more than 90 events from 7 June to 13 July to mark the Māori New Year. The wide-ranging programme spans the region and embraces themes of remembrance, celebration and renewal.
In Mount Roskill, families are invited to fly kites from the tihi (summit) of Pukewiwi / Puketāpapa – a volcano believed to be 105,000 years old. The annual Puketāpapa Manu Aute Kite Day will be held on Sunday 6 July, from 11am to 3pm at 1109 Dominion Road.
At the other end of the city, Maybury Reserve in Glen Innes will once again host the Te Ara Rama Matariki Light Trail. Now in its 11th year, the free outdoor festival runs from Wednesday 25 June to Saturday 28 June, 6pm to 9pm. Featuring light, music and creativity across nine themes that reflect the stars of Matariki, the event is designed to bring the community together to give thanks, honour those who have passed, and celebrate the harvest season.
In the city centre, Matariki ki te Manawa (‘Matariki at the heart’) will light up streets and laneways with soaring installations and storytelling. Until 13 July, visitors can explore vibrant displays including a giant crochet wharenui (meeting house), oversized children’s book sculptures, and neon manu (birds) glowing in the trees. Each artwork draws on place-based narratives, karakia and waiata, shining a modern light on ancient traditions. This showcase is supported by Auckland Council's city centre targeted rate.
In the south, community members will come together for native tree planting at Ihumātao on Sunday 22 June, from 10am to 2pm. This annual act of renewal honours the Māori New Year’s promise of new growth and sustains cultural ties to the whenua (land) and ancestral food systems.
Out west, Lopdell Precinct in Titirangi will host a vibrant celebration from Friday 20 June to Sunday 6 July, between 1pm and 7pm daily. The event will feature live music, kapa haka, storytelling, kai and cultural stalls, all set against the stunning backdrop of the Manukau Harbour. Under the theme of Matariki ki te Wai, the gathering aims to build cultural awareness and community connection.
In central Auckland, a self-guided digital walking tour invites people to explore the city’s freshwater systems through the lens of Waitī, one of the stars of Matariki. Using a pukapuka (book) or app, participants engage in reflective activities, culminating in a visit to Te Wharekura on the waterfront for deeper learning led by mana whenua.
An artists' exhibition and talk series will also run from 14 June to 26 July. Artists from across Aotearoa will share their knowledge through workshops and displays, inviting visitors to experience weaving designs that celebrate the stars of Matariki.
Matariki Festival 2025 offers something for everyone – a moment to reflect on the past, connect with the present, and look to the future. For the full programme, visit matarikifestival.org.nz.