Standing proud – Te Matatini takes the joy of Māori culture to the world

That’s the view of Te Matatini CEO Carl Ross – and he should know. He began performing kapa haka when he was six years old, and went on to become a national champion before taking the helm of the organisation that runs the biennial kapa haka festival in Aotearoa.

“Kapa haka brings people together, strengthens whānau connections, builds belonging and supports physical and mental wellbeing,” he says. “It’s a place where grandparents, parents and mokopuna can stand together, learn together and share the joy of kapa haka and their culture.

“It’s also unique in the world. When you go to an All Blacks game overseas, all the Kiwi get up and do a haka. It makes us proud to be New Zealanders – whether we’re Māori or non-Māori.”

He says the enthusiastic public response to the regional competitions this year, including about 552 million social media views, demonstrates the growing reach and influence of kapa haka. “Our social media keeps getting bigger and bigger,” says Ross, who is of Ngāpuhi and Scottish descent. “It’s taking our culture to the world,”

Since the first national kapa haka festival was held in front of an audience of about 5000 in Rotorua in 1972, it has evolved into a movement that reaches far beyond the performances on stage at the competitive multi-day biennial competition. It has become known as “the Māori Olympics”, and is now the world’s largest celebration of traditional Māori performing arts.

More than 100,000 are expected to attend next year’s Te Matatini finals at Hopuhopu, Ngāruawāhia, with millions more following the on-stage drama on social media or live-stream. Over the past decade, the economic impact of Te Matatini has more than doubled, rising from $9.1 million when the festival was held in Christchurch in 2015, to $23.7 million in New Plymouth in 2025.

But for Ross, Te Matatini’s true value lies not just in the millions of dollars it brings to its host region – but in its potential to change lives and build communities. “Beyond the stage of the national festival lies a journey of dedication,” he says. “For every kapa team that reaches Te Matatini, there are months and often years of rehearsals, fundraising, travel, sacrifice and commitment.”

Te Matatini research has revealed that being involved with kapa haka has profound health, social, cultural and economic benefits. Ross says he’s seen whole families embark on healthy eating and fitness programmes to prepare for the competition – he gave up smoking overnight when forces to choose between cigarettes and kapa haka. There’s also growing evidence that regular haka practice may slow the development of Alzheimer’s, and that young people who participate in kapa haka achieve higher grades at school. “The has to be good for the whole country.”

This year’s regional heats, held in 12 rohe around Aotearoa and one in Australia, have earned 57 kapa a place at next year's national festival, Te Matatini o Ngā Taniwha, hosted by Waikato Tainui in February. Each festival is held in a different part of the motu, and after last year’s event booked out accommodation within a three-hour radius of hos city New Plymouth, next year’s location near Ngāruawāhia was selected for its proximity to both Hamilton and Auckland, and the availability of a large number of local marae to accommodate teams. “Moving the event around the country fosters community growth and supports diverse regions economically and spiritually,” says Ross. “The economic impact is going to be massive for the region.”

He says the name Te Matatini means “many faces” and reflects the diversity of the people who bring kapa haka to life – young and old, performers and audiences, Māori and non-Māori. “I’m looking forward to seeing our diverse communities come together in unity to celebrate kapa haka and our uniqueness as a nation.”

As part of Te Matatini’s inclusive approach, the six-day festival, February 22-27 next year, will be simulcast with English language translation to make it accessible to those who don’t speak te reo Māori, and five additional languages and audio description for blind and visually impaired audiences will be added on finals day. “This helps audiences in Aotearoa and around the world connect with and understand the compositions, stories and meaning behind each performance,” says Ross.

“It’s really cool seeing people enjoy our culture. It gives us an opportunity to come together, not just to compete for national honours, but to stand proud, celebrate who we are and share our unique identity and place in Aotearoa with the world.”

Edits to the published AirNZ Kia Ora Magazine, October 2026:

• Te Matatini expects approximately 70,000 to attend Te Matatini o Ngā Taniwha being held at Hopuhopu, Ngāruawāhia
• Te Matatini o Ngā Taniwha is hosted by Tainui Waka.