Matariki 2025

Let creativity be a guiding star this Matariki.

Celebrate Matariki with talented artists from Ōtautahi & beyond, featuring live performances, visual art, kapa haka, Tīrama Mai, night mākete,
delicious kai & so much more.

About Matariki

Matariki is the Māori New Year based on the lunar calendar. It is a time to celebrate new life, remember those who’ve passed on, and plan for the future. The start of the new dawn is a time to gather with whānau and friends and celebrate what has been and what is to come.

The full name of the Matariki star cluster is “Ngā mata o te ariki Tāwhirimātea” – the eyes of the ariki Tāwhirimātea, god of the winds and weather. When Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother, were separated from their dark embrace by Tāne, Tāwhirimātea was distraught. He tore out his eyes, crushed them into pieces and stuck them onto the chest of the sky.

This star cluster is known by many names throughout the world. In Hawaii it is known as Makali’i – eyes of the king, in Greece it is known as Pleiades, and in Japan it is most famously known as Subaru.

The nine stars in the constellation of Matariki oversee different areas of importance in Māori life. They are; Matariki, Pōhutukawa, Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-ā-rangi, Tupuānuku, Tupuārangi, Ururangi, and Hiwa-i-te-rangi. Early Māori did not view the constellation as a whole when gaining knowledge for the year ahead, but instead sought insight from the individual stars.

For mana whenua Ngāi Tūāhuriri, Matariki is an important time. This is the time when whānau ensure their pātaka (food storehouses) are full. It is a time for them to reflect and plan how the land and waterways should be nurtured and prepared to ensure a bountiful and sustainable harvest season.

Image credit: The Māori Sidesteps by Andi Crown Photography. 

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