A karakia, or blessing for the Te Matatini stage has taken place at Pukekura/Bowl of Brooklands to mark the start of its build ahead of the national kapa haka competition in less than two weeks.
Carl Ross, chief executive of Te Matatini Society Incorporated, said the blessing is a significant moment that connects past festivals to Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga, the name given to this year’s event.
“When kaihaka stand on the Te Matatini stage, the mana of the mahau and those that have stood before stands with them.”
Elijah Pue, chair of hosting committee Te Kāhui Maunga, said it was a privilege to have the carved structure in the region.
“Its presence honours all the festivals before ours and reaffirms our commitment to manaaki all who are joining us at Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga.”
The 13-metre-tall, 30-metre-long structure, named Te Matatini, was first unveiled in Rotorua in 2013. Carved by 20 carvers from Te Puia-New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, it has become a permanent fixture of the event, travelling from region to region.
Wi Pere Mita, chief operations officer for Te Matatini Enterprises, said the arrival and blessing of the stage symbolises the start of the build proper.
“We haven’t had a festival like this since 2015, where we haven’t had a walk-in venue, so we’re excited about what we create in the space and also working with the haukāinga to guide us in what that looks like.”
In 2015, Te Matatini was staged at Hagley Park in Christchurch, having since been held in sport arenas in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington.
“The beauty about being [in Pukekura] is that we can make the festival what we want it, we can put things where we want it, but also bring in the beauty of the scenery that you won’t see in a walk-in venue. You can see the trees and the lush grass and all of the other landmarks that you can see from this place here,” said Mita.
This year’s festival will mark a lot of ‘firsts’ with an unprecedented 55 teams set to perform, and over the course of a jam-packed five days, instead of four. Mita said they were expecting 70,000 people to attend over the week in what will be the biggest festival in the history of Te Matatini.
