Taikura Kapa Haka Returns To Te Papa Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 July

The beloved national Kapa Haka festival for kaumātua will return to Te Papa in 2023, after several years of disruption due to covid.

Saturday 1 July and Sunday 2 July will see senior Māori performers from around the country take the stage in Te Papa’s Soundings Theatre.

More than a dozen groups from the far north to Te Waipounamu are travelling to Te Papa to perform kapa haka over the two days.

The event is free to the public, and the performances are live streamed by Te Papa on Facebook and YouTube to reach a national and global audience – in the past more than 100,000 people have viewed live streams of the performances.

Te Papa Kaihautū Dr Arapata Hakiwai said it is wonderful to host the event at Te Papa for the first time since 2019.

“Taikura is the absolute heart and soul of kapa haka, celebrating the skill, the dedication and the rich mātauranga of our kuia and kaumātua,” Dr Hakiwai said.

“We had an incredible response when we announced Taikura would go ahead this year – the roopu are excited to be coming back to Te Papa and we are excited to have them in the whare again.”

Dr Hakiwai said this year’s Taikura event would be bittersweet as the community mourned the loss of Putiputi Mackey, who has been at the heart of Taikura Kapa Haka for many years as a founding member of the He Kura Te Tangata Trust.

“Kōkā Puti will be in the hearts and minds of performers this year, she gave so much to the kapa haka community and to Taikura Kapa Haka,” Dr Hakiwai said.

Taikura Kapa Haka 2023 is supported by Te Papa Foundation; Te Māngai Pāho; Te Matatini; Te Puni Kōkiri; Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori; and Te Tumu Paeroa.

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