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Matariki – te Mātahi o te TauMatariki – the Māori New Year

Matariki is a time to gather with whānau and friends to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.

  • A room with coloured lighting and colourful carving behind the stage. On the stage are nine lights in x shapes.

    Matariki 2026 at Te Papa

    Ko Matariki Herenga Waka te kaupapa whakanui o tēnei tau, ka toroa te kauae runga tuku iho tērā e kawe ana e ngā waka, mō ngā whakaterenga tumu herenga tāngata.

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    Matariki Herenga Waka    , the theme of this year’s celebrations, acknowledges the stories, traditions, and mātauranga​​ (knowledge)‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍​‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍​​‍​‍​​‌​​‌​​​​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍​​‌​​​‍​​​‍​‍‌​​​​​‍​‌​​​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‌ carried by ​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍​‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍​‌‌​​‍​​​‌​​​‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌​‌​‍‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌​‍​​‌‍​​‍‌​‍‌‌​‍‌​​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‍​​​​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍​‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‍​​‍​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍​‍‌‌waka (canoes)​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍​‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍​​‍​‍​​‌​​‌​​​​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍​​‌​‌​​​‍​​​​​​‌‍​​‌​‍​​​‍​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‌, and the voyages that bring people together.

  • Matariki star cluster

    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.

  • A night sky with stars visible and start of a sunrise.

    Puanga is the star of Matariki 2025

    The 2025 theme of Matariki mā Puanga highlights communities who observe Puanga astronomical traditions and is all about celebrating and learning about the Māori new year together.

    Find out more about this year's theme on the Matariki website.

  • 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.

  • Rangi Matamua, then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Sir Pou Temara pose for a group photo

    Dates for the Matariki public holiday

    The Matariki public holiday is based on the winter rising of the Matariki cluster in the early morning sky during the Tangaroa period of the lunar month of Pipiri.

  • 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).

  • An older woman in a yellow and black top is spinning long poi on stage with other older people.

    Taikura Kapa Haka

    Taikura Kapa Haka is an annual festival bringing together kaumātua from across the motu in celebration of the rich mātauranga and pūkenga held in our apārangi tūnohunohu.