Kōanga Festival Unveils Full Line-Up For This September In Tāmaki Makaurau

(Tāmaki Makaurau, Wed 23 July, 2025) - Kōanga Festival, a captivating celebration of Māori performing arts, has unveiled its dynamic hōtaka (programme) for the 2025 event. Returning to Te Pou Theatre for two packed weekends from 12 to 21 September, the 2025 programme champions new Māori voices and work across theatre, music, and dance, from powerful play readings and live gigs, to a fun-filled community Whānau Day.

Kōanga is a time when te taiao comes to life with new growth. Kōanga Festival cultivates new ideas and shares the bounty of new narratives through Māori performing arts. Now in its 11th year, Kōanga Festival is where Māori stories are crafted, shared and embraced.

This year’s headline show What Happened To Mary-Anne? is a bold, high-energy rock show created by award-winning performer and writer Brady Peeti. Featuring a live band and original music, the show is an unflinching, electric ride through love, identity, and memory. What Happened To Mary-Anne? takes place on three nights only from Friday 19 - Sunday 21 September.

Festival favourite Whānau Day, taking place Saturday 13 September, is an open, free festival day for all to enjoy. Expect a magical storytelling grove, kai stalls, a rangatahi curated outdoor music stage, kapa haka, kids’ theatre, games, and more. It’s a celebration of storytelling that the whole whānau can experience together.

“Kōanga Festival 2025 shares the talents of excellent Māori performing arts makers, and nurtures new stories for the stage, with a focus on crucial voices at crucial times; futuristic thinking, urban Māori stories and electrifying performances.” says Amber Curreen, Artistic Director.

From Friday 19 - Saturday 20 September, emerging Māori playwrights will present their newly developed works following three months of creative development through the Kōanga Playwrights Programme. With limited capacity, these readings offer a rare first-look at the future of Māori theatre. This year’s playwrights are Leigh Minarapa (Ngāti Rangitihi) with ‘Te Koha’, Lila Māhina Black (Ngāti Raukawa) with ‘Strange Signals: Aliens in Aotearoa’, Zody Takurua (Ngā Rauru) with ‘WHŌRE’, and Ngahiriwa Rauhina (Ngāti Whakaue, Tuhourangi ki Wahiao, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Raukawa) presenting the only te reo Māori work within the Kōanga Playwrights Programme, ‘Te Tau E’. ‘Te Tau E’ marks Kōanga alumnae Ngahiriwa Rauhina’s first full-length mainstage work presented entirely in te reo Māori.

“It's the first time we’ve had so many works dealing directly with Māori futurism and critical contemporary kaupapa.” says Amber Curreen in regards to the Playwrights Programme. “At this time when there’s so much disruption in the world our artists will do what they do best and come together to imagine new pathways forward.”

Atamira Dance Company will be presenting two unique showings within the festival underKia Pohewatia their choreographic residency programme with Rachel Ruckstuhl-Mann (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Rangitāne) and Samara Reweti (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Uenukukopako). Kia Pohewatia is dedicated to supporting Māori choreographers in developing new works. Through studio time, mentorship, and collaboration with Atamira artists, this residency offers a space for research, experimentation, and the early shaping of future projects.

“Kōanga is a time for nurturing fresh, new narratives, and Kia Pohewatia embodies this by providing a platform for Māori choreographers Rachel Ruckstuhl-Mann and Samara Reweti to dream, experiment, and share early-stage works that invite audiences into their evolving creative journeys. It will be exciting to witness these unfolding new offerings as they are shared with the public.” says Bianca Hyslop (Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue-kaipapa, Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao, Pākehā), Artistic Director of Atamira Dance Company.

13 Sept | Whānau Day (Free event)

14 Sept | Atamira Dance Company Presents: Kia Pohewatia with Rachel Ruckstuhl-Mann

19 - 21 Sept | ‘What Happened To Mary-Anne?’ - Brady Peeti

19 Sept | Play Readings Pōmere by Leigh Minarapa with ‘Te Koha’ & Ngahiriwa Rauhina with ‘E Tau e’

20 Sept | Play Readings Pōhoroi by Lila Black with ‘Strange Signals: Aliens in Aotearoa’ & Zody Takurua with 'WHŌRE'

21 Sept | Te Arero Toi Reo Māori Playwrighting Wānanga and Atamira Dance Company Presents: Kia Pohewatia with Samara Reweti

“It will be a beautiful, big and audacious ten days at Te Pou - we look forward to seeing you there!” Amber Curreen.

KŌANGA FESTIVAL

12 - 21 SEPTEMBER

TE POU THEATRE, TĀMAKI MAKAURU

Full programme and tickets at www.koangafestival.nz

© Scoop Media