Maanawatia a Matariki 2025 | Hamilton City Council

Nau mai, haere mai Kirikiriroa. Maanawatia a Matariki is back for 2025! The arrival of Matariki is a sign for people to gather and celebrate new life, remember those who’ve passed and to plan for the future.

Wrap up warm and rally your whaanau and friends to celebrate the rising of the star cluster Matariki that marks our Maaori New Year - Te Maatahi o te Tau.

Hea (Where): Innes Common

Ina (When): Friday 20 June, 3pm - 7pm

Kei te aha (What’s happening): Family-friendly evening filled with live music, entertainment, food, markets and more!

Check out our Facebook event page here

What can I expect?

Ngaa Maakete (markets)
Ngaa mahi a ngaa tamariki (children’s activities)
Taraka kai (food trucks)
Ngaa whakaaturanga ora (live performances)

Free bus rides

BUSIT is offering free bus rides* to the event from midday on Friday 20 June. Simply tell the driver you are heading to Maanawatia a Matariki at Innes Common and jump on board for free!

Below are some bus stops walking distance from Innes Common:

Alison Street (near Lake Cresent)
Queens Avenue (near Killarney Road)
Pembroke Street (near the entrance to the Hamilton Lake)
Transport Centre - take any Hamilton service that goes here and walk to the lake.

Check out the BUSIT Maanawatia a Matariki page for more information or view the timetable here.

*Hamilton bus services only (green BUSIT services)

On-stage schedule

3pm-3.05pm

Opening – Kaumatua Tame Pokaia

3.10pm-3.50pm

Toiora (Raakai and Band)

3.56pm-4.41pm

TOPA

4.49pm-5.34pm

Son & Water

5.40pm-6.25pm

Te Maurea Whiritoi (Kapa haka)

6.27pm-6.42pm

Fire Poi (Flames of Plenty)

6.42pm-6.58pm

CB Civil Laser Show

6.58pm-7pm

MC Farewells

Off-stage performers

Flames of Plenty - Giant Bubbles

Flames of Plenty - Roaming Glow

Hamiora - Poi Rakau

About Matariki

*Maaori believe that the appearance of Matariki in the morning sky in the mid-winter marks the Maaori New Year, or Te Maatahi o te Tau.

Our tuupuna (ancestors) would look to Matariki for help with their harvesting. When Matariki disappeared in April/May, it was time to preserve crops for the winter season. When it re-appeared in June/July, tuupuna would read the stars to predict the upcoming season – clear and bright stars promised a warm and abundant winter while hazy stars warned of a bleak winter.

Because Maaori follow the Maaori lunar calendar, not the European calendar, the dates for Matariki change every year.

Learn more about Matariki and the cluster of stars.

*Source - Te Wānanga o Aotearoa