Celebrate our New Year

A space in front of the wharenui, or stage in a large room. There are beanbags and tables in the centre.

Mānawatia a MatarikiCelebrate our New Year

Whakatake mai ki te pūtahitanga o Matariki.

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Celebrate Matariki – the beginning of the New Year in Aotearoa New Zealand, marked by the rising of the Matariki star cluster.

When | Āhea

From 23 April, 2025

Where | Ki hea

Rongomaraeroa, our Marae, Level 4

Cost | Te utu

Free with museum entry

Ages | TE REANGA

All ages

Accessibility | E wātea ana ki

Wheelchair accessible
Variable lighting, especially on sunny days

Find out more about accessibility at Te Papa

Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki
Mānawa maiea te ariki o te rangi
Mānawa maiea te mātahi o te tau!

Whakatake mai ki te pūtahitanga o Matariki.

Ko te aratohu ki a koutou – maharatia te onamata, mānawatia te inamata, manakotia te anamata.

Nau mai rā!

Rukutia ngā kōrero ki te pūtahi o Matariki, tākaro kēmu, tuku oati, pāinaina rānei. Whakarongo ki tētahi waiata, maharatia rātou kua whetūrangitia.

Kia kitea akeDiscover more

What and who is Matariki?

Learn about the stars of Matariki, watch a video showing you how to find the cluster, and test your knowledge in our quiz.

matariki-night sky with designed star on it

Matariki: The Māori New Year

Learn all about Matariki and see our events. Matariki is a time to gather with family and friends to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.

Puanga in the night sky (the brightest star in the photograph)

Astronomers explain Puanga and Matariki

Richard Hall, President of the Phoenix Astronomical Society, and Vice President Ian Cooper explain when we can see the star Puanga and why it’s linked to Matariki.

The location of Puanga in the mid-winter sky

The difference between Puanga and Matariki

Some iwi celebrate Puanga rather than Matariki. Che Wilson of Whanganui iwi explains why this is the case, and which iwi celebrate Puanga.

Two people standing under an open marquee tent. Both are cooking on a frypan and looking at the camera.

Watch: Matariki Kōrero – Puanga

Throughout the weeks leading up to Matariki, 2024, guest speakers gave a series of talks about kai Māori practices connected to taonga (treasures) from our collection.

This kōrero (talk) is about Puanga – the whetū (star) that for some iwi (tribes), signals the Māori New Year.

Te Papa staff member Hauiti Gardiner talks to the camera. Behind him is a photograph of the night sky

Watch: How to find the Matariki star cluster

Educator Hauiti Gardiner shows you how to find the Matariki star cluster during the Māori New Year, which falls in the month of Pipiri (June–July).

Uncle Pare stands in his kitchen. He wear a black and white striped shirt, black scarf, glasses, and a black brimmed hat. His kitchen is overflowing with a well organised array of bottles, utensils, plates, and jars

How to celebrate Matariki

What to do during Matariki, a time to spend with your whānau, with waiata (songs), whakataukī (proverbs), and more.

Computer-generated image of the activity book lying open showing its cover and inside pages

Matariki learning programme and education resources

Download Matariki and maramataka teaching resources to use in your classroom, or book a Matariki education visit for your ECE or primary students.

Tuna (eel) with blue eyes staring into the camera.

Watch: Matariki Kōrero – Waitī

Throughout the weeks leading up to Matariki, 2024, guest speakers give a series of talks about kai Māori (Māori food) practices connected to taonga (treasures) from our collection.

This kōrero talk is about Waitī – the whetū (star) associated with fresh water.

A pigeon with a white front is sitting in a tree.

Watch: Matariki Kōrero: Tipuārangi

Throughout the weeks leading up to Matariki, 2024, guest speakers give a series of talks about kai Māori (Maori food) practices connected to taonga (treasures) from our collection.

This kōrero is about Tipuārangi – the whetū (star) associated with all that lives and grows in the trees.

A colourful stage within a room with sunlight through coloured windows bathing the room in shades of blue and purple

Te Marae o Te Papa Tongarewa: Rongomaraeroa

Rongomaraeroa is a unique marae (meeting place) within Aotearoa New Zealand. Like all marae, it is founded on Māori principles of kawa (marae protocol) and tikanga (cultural practices) it was created for our unique museum context as a contemporary marae acknowledging the whakapapa (ancestral history) and the taonga (treasures) of all peoples who call Aotearoa New Zealand home.

Photo of a country hut in the foreground and a star-filled night sky behind it

Quiz: How much do you know about Matariki and the Maramataka?

You’ve read our Matariki resources – now it’s time to test your knowledge!

A view of deep space showing the star Puanga (also known as Rigel)

Matariki: regional variations

Matariki isn’t universally observed, due to a variety of reasons – including the fact that the cluster is not visible to everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand. Learn about regional variations in marking te Mātahi o te Tau (the Māori new year).

A woman in a long blue dress is tying a note to a wall of white paper notes.

Matariki kōrero: What’s in an exhibition? With Dan Parke

As part of this year’s Matariki celebrations, Exhibition Experience Developer Dan Parke talks about creative storytelling in the Mānawatia a Matariki exhibition space on Rongomaraeroa, the marae here at Te Papa.

Four views of the same digging implement with a carved top and a step strapped on with cord.

Matariki kōrero with Aroha Matchitt-Millar

Public Programming Specialist, Kaupapa Māori Aroha Matchitt-Millar (Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Tarāwhai, Ngāi Tūhoe) talks about her connection to Matariki and mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and shares her kōrero (talk) about the 2024 theme, Matariki Heri Kai, the feast of Matariki.