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Te Matatini Society Inc.

Te Matatini ‘the many faces’ was first established in 1972, as the New Zealand Polynesian Cultural Festival. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the Festival grew in size, adopting a new name - Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival (ATMPAF), in 1983. The organisation then became incorporated in 1996 to foster, develop and protect excellence in Māori performing arts. The Society, and subsequently the Festival, was renamed to Te Matatini in 2004.

Te Matatini has made the collective decision to postpone Te Matatini Herenga Waka Herenga Tangata National Kapa Haka Festival until February 2023. The festival will remain at Eden Park (Ngā Ana Wai) in Tāmaki Makaurau and all qualifying Kapa Haka and judges will remain the same as they currently stand. Read more in an 29 October 2021 Te Matatini media release.

Te Matatini is governed by a National Board that represents 13 rohe ‘regional bodies', who make up the membership of the Society. There is also an Executive Committee who support the work of the Board. The Executive comprises of the Chair, four delegates elected by the Executive Committee and the delegate of the host region for the upcoming festival.

Contact Details

[email protected]

Tel (04) 385 2306

Postal Address -  PO Box 5455, Lambton Quay, Wellington 6011.

Related links

Te Matatini website

Ministry for Culture and Heritage annual reports


Updated on 1st November 2021