Beautiful Matariki Legend Celebrated With National Glow Show Tour

The beauty and mystique of Matariki will be shared in this year's Glow Show, which tours Aotearoa from May 2025 - through school terms and holidays.

The Matariki Glow Show tells the legend of te kāhui whetū o Matariki (the Matariki star cluster/whānau) as they gather to light up the skies for te tau hou Māori (Māori New Year). But where is the smallest star, Waipuna-ā-Rangi? Could the little one be lost in the moana?

The Matariki story is beautifully explored in both te reo Māori and English, weaving an exquisite tale with the Glow Show's unique theatre experience. Featuring glow-in-the-dark magic, giant puppets, a toe-tapping soundtrack, and themes of whakawhanaungatanga, friendship, and togetherness, this show offers a truly special experience for tamariki.

Glow Show founder Sarah Burren says: "Celebrating Matariki is such a beautiful part of living in Aotearoa; it connects us to our universe, our ancestors, and to each other.

"The Glow Show tells the story of Matariki in a way that surprises and delights - you can hear the kids having so much fun. We're excited to tour Aotearoa and can't wait to see you soon!"

Sarah created the Glow Show concept in 2017 and it has toured Aotearoa annually ever since. This year she also created an only-in-Orewa pop-up called GLOrewa!

GLOrewa! is a magical maze of glow-in-the-dark storyscapes, which create an utterly original world for children to explore. It invites children to wander through its mysterious interactive stories and discover multi-sensory Glow-tastic creatures and characters.

The Glow Show's mashup of science, education and art, storytelling and puppetry has charmed nearly 120,000 children throughout Aotearoa since it was created, and this very special event in GLOrewa! comes amid huge demand for a show that is loved by young and old alike.

Who's behind GLOrewa! and The Glow Shows?

Sarah Burren, a New Zealander, was based in London and Toronto for 15 years, where she designed and made costumes for numerous TV and theatre productions, including Basil Brush for the BBC.

She also worked across Europe and North America, creating couture garments for a range of celebrities - including Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson - in the mid-1980s.

She returned to Auckland in 1994 and has since designed for theatre, television, film, and spectacular live events, including the America's Cup Ball, Volvo Ocean Race, SkyCity opening, and Rugby World Cup 2011. She has also designed sets, costumes, and props for over 50 children's shows.

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