Waitangi Day celebrations in Wellington – music, kai and kapa haka

Celebrate Te Rā o Waitangi at Waitangi Park on Wellington’s waterfront with music, kai, Māori arts and crafts and kapa haka.

There will be kapa haka from Ngāti Poneke, one of the first Māori performing arts clubs in Aotearoa, while Te Kura Kaupapa o Ngā Mokopuna will see the kids taking centre stage. The Company NZ dancers will rock the audience with their high-energy routines, and 10-piece band RANEA, who’ve just released their first single, will get you moving with reggae funk in te reo Māori.

Wellington City Council’s Arts Portfolio Leader, Councillor Ray Ahipene-Mercer, says: “This is the most important day in our country to acknowledge our nationhood and ‘sense of place’. We invite all citizens to participate and reflect on what this may mean to them, and participate in the activities that the Council has organised with the support of our partner, the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust.”

Waka demonstrations will start at 10am on Whai Repo Lagoon, Wellington waterfront, and will include demonstrations of waka salutes, waka techniques and waka haka before they make their way round to Waitangi Park.

Events Coordinator Suzanne Tamaki is looking forward to a fantastic day with a great mix of traditional and contemporary Māori performers.

“We are so lucky to have such amazing talent in Aotearoa, and there will be something to entertain all the whanau.”

Get down to Majic Paora’s blend of soul, R&B and reggae. The award-winning songstress is touring for the first time with her new baby girl, Te Waiata, who has already been seen with her mum on stage.

The band is a family affair, with Majic’s cousins, Tribal Conexionz, making up the rhythm section. Majic, her brother Robbie and The Tribal Boys were home schooled together and they bring that connection to the stage with a natural synergy and love for roots reggae.

Get your hips swaying to headline act The Modern Māori Quartet, who describe themselves as “four good-looking, suave Māori guys crooning a mix of modern day and classic songs in Te Reo and English". James Tito, Matariki Whatarau, Maaka Pohatu, Francis Kora and Matiu Ngaropo. will have you melting like syrup on a piece of hot fried bread.

Friday 6 February, Waitangi Park 12 noon to 6pm.

To find out more and for the Summer City programme go to Wellington.govt.nz/SummerCity.

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