Tairāwhiti Artists Showcase Toimatapu Exhibition at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
Tauira from the Whirikoka Campus are displaying their whakairo, raranga, and rauangi mahi toi in an exhibition that celebrates cultural identity and resilience.
Toi
Toi — ngā toi ataata, mahi whakangahau, puoro, kiriata me te ahurea auaha.
Ngā kōrero e kaha pānuitia ana ki mua, kātahi ko ngā tuhinga hou rawa · 60 ngā kōrero
IA music group releases Whakakai Marihi to support families through November remembrance
Māori music group IA has released a new oriori titled Whakakai Marihi to provide healing and support for families remembering infants who have passed away.
Māori Stars Nominated for Screen Personality of the Year at 2026 New Zealand Screen Awards
Māori screen talents Shiray and Gillies Kākā and Turia Schmidt-Peke have been named as finalists for the publicly voted Screen Personality of the Year at the 2026 New Zealand Screen Awards.
Ngā Aho Whakaari Marks 30 Years of Advocacy and Excellence in Māori Screen Production
Ngā Aho Whakaari celebrates three decades of advocating for Māori screen professionals, focusing on Indigenous storytelling, cultural integrity, and the continued growth of the Māori film sector across Aotearoa.
Te Puia Unveils New Waharoa to Commemorate Centenary of Māori Arts and Crafts Act
Te Puia and the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute have marked the 100th anniversary of the 1926 Māori Arts and Crafts Act by unveiling a new waharoa, celebrating a century of formal protection for traditional arts.
Māori Artists Showcase Identity and Political Expression at Whanganui Fringe Exhibition
The Ora Te Toi exhibition in Whanganui brings together five Māori artists from Te Taihauāuru to share ancestral knowledge and contemporary reflections on identity and resistance.
New Bilingual Children’s Book Explores Mauri and Environmental Kaitiakitanga
A Nelson-based medical advisor and environmentalist has released 'Mauri', a bilingual picture book designed to teach tamariki the Māori values of guardianship and the vital essence of the natural world.
Beyond the Beat Series Returns to Showcase Māori Metal and Afro Hip-Hop Fusion
The innovative music series Beyond the Beat returns for a second season on 29 October, featuring a unique trilingual collaboration between Alien Weaponry and Afro hip-hop artists.
Ngāpuhi Playwright Brings Hokianga Dog Tax Rebellion to Life in New Production
Playwright Geoffrey Clendon is revisiting the historic 1898 Dog Tax Rebellion through a powerful new theatrical production touring Auckland and the Hokianga.
Award-winning author Tīhema Baker releases latest speculative novel exploring Māori mental health and dreaming
Tīhema Baker has released his latest novel, 'One Day a Taniwha', a work that blends contemporary politics with Māori traditions of dreaming and spiritual potential.
Double Honours for Theia: Māori Music Trailblazer Celebrated at University of Auckland Blues Awards
Recording artist Kukutai Walker, known as Theia, has received two prestigious honours at the University of Auckland Blues Awards for her contributions to Indigenous music, scholarship, and advocacy.
Stan Walker Marks 17 Years of Music with Sold-Out Symphonic Performance in Tāmaki Makaurau
Māori entertainer Stan Walker celebrated a career milestone on Saturday with a sold-out symphonic concert at The Trusts Arena, featuring a 36-piece orchestra.
Designer Tyrone Ohia Honoured with Prestigious Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate Award
Creative director Tyrone Ohia has received the 2026 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate Design Award for his work integrating Māori knowledge and storytelling into contemporary visual identity.
Auckland Arts Festival 2027 to Premiere New Pasifika Work by Victor Rodger and Anapela Polata’ivao
Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival has unveiled its 2027 line-up, featuring the world premiere of Victor Rodger’s The Boy from Vaiala alongside international dance and music acts.
Festival of Design Aotearoa Highlights Whanganui’s Heritage of Māori Innovation
Curators at the Whanganui Regional Museum are showcasing centuries of Māori engineering and design heritage as part of the inaugural Festival of Design Aotearoa.
Pacific Soul Meets Country: TheWesternGuide and Kaylee Bell Release Powerful New Single
Samoan-New Zealand artist Aaron Pulemagafa, known as TheWesternGuide, has collaborated with country star Kaylee Bell on a new single exploring vulnerability and acceptance.
Generations of Te Kanawa and Hetet Weaving Legacy Celebrated in New Exhibition
Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery has launched Rīpoi Anamata, Rīpoi Inamata, a major exhibition celebrating 180 years of raranga excellence from the Hetet and Te Kanawa whānau.
Rob Ruha Claims Historic Kapa Haka Award at 2026 APRA Silver Scrolls
Māori music leader Rob Ruha has won the first-ever dedicated kapa haka songwriting award at the APRA Silver Scrolls, marking a historic night for Indigenous and Pacific music in Aotearoa.
Alfriston College Makes History Hosting 30th Anniversary of Te Ahurea Tino Rangatiratanga
South Auckland's Alfriston College hosted the 30th annual Te Ahurea Tino Rangatiratanga festival on October 13 and 14, celebrating three decades of Māori performing arts and rangatahi talent.
Māori Futures Exhibition at Sarjeant Gallery Showcases Visionary Art from 15 Contemporary Creatives
The 'He Ao Āpopō, He Ao Tea: Māori Futures' exhibition at Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui brings together 15 artists to celebrate Puanga and explore indigenous resilience through light and sculpture.
Arohanui, Carmen xx: Major Te Papa Exhibition Celebrates Life and Legacy of Takatāpui Icon Carmen Rupe
A new exhibition, 'Arohanui, Carmen xx', has opened at Te Papa in Wellington to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and enduring legacy of Carmen Rupe, a pioneering figure who created vital sanctuaries for the Takatāpui community.
Oscar-winning Spirited Away to be dubbed in te reo Māori for December release
Translators Te Kauru Nohotima and Hana Mereraiha are bringing Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away to Aotearoa screens in te reo Māori, highlighting spiritual parallels between Japanese and Māori worldviews.
Florence Pugh reflects on 'beautiful' pōwhiri experience during Netflix production in New Zealand
Hollywood actor Florence Pugh has praised the Māori pōwhiri that welcomed the cast and crew of the Netflix series East of Eden, describing the ceremony as a powerful highlight of the production.
Auckland Arts Festival names West End hit The Choir of Man as first 2027 headline act
Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival has announced the Olivier Award-nominated production The Choir of Man as its signature Spiegeltent event for 2027.
Renowned Filmmaker Tainui Stephens to Launch Career-Spanning Collection Kua Tau: A Life in Stories
Prominent Te Rarawa storyteller Tainui Stephens is set to launch a new book, Kua Tau: A Life in Stories, reflecting on five decades of Māori filmmaking and broadcasting.
Stan Walker Adds Pōneke Date to Symphonic Tour Following High Demand
Multi-award-winning Māori artist Stan Walker has added a Wellington performance to his 'Symphonic Experience' tour after selling out in Tāmaki Makaurau and nearing capacity in Ōtautahi.
Historical Photography of Māori Land Development Scheme Receives UNESCO Recognition
A collection of 1,400 images by pioneering journalist Ron Vine, documenting the Māori land development scheme and rural communities, has been inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
Kiwi Stunt Pioneer Dayna Pomare Celebrates Three Decades in Hollywood Film Industry
After 30 years as a high-profile stunt performer and horse master, Dayna Pomare is sharing her journey of resilience and passing her skills to the next generation through her stunt school and upcoming book.
Auckland family trio Aumalesulu win RNZ Kiwi Cover Song Contest
Ese Aumalesulu and his daughters Tara and Sophia have beaten nearly 200 entries to win the national Kiwi Cover Song Contest with their rendition of a classic reggae hit.
Award-winning Māori writer Tina Makereti named 2026 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellow
Writer Tina Makereti (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi-Matakore) has been awarded one of Aotearoa’s most prestigious literary honours, including a residency in southern France.
RNZ Launches Reo Journeys: Te Pou Herenga Tai to Celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori
RNZ has launched Reo Journeys: Te Pou Herenga Tai, a five-part podcast following a cycling expedition through Northland that showcases the normalized use of te reo Māori and the rich history of Te Tai Tokerau.
Hundreds of Talented Young Singers Lift Hearts at Sold-Out Big Sing Gala
Compere Miriama Kamo hosted the top 24 secondary school choirs in the country as they performed in a massed 900-strong choir at the Christchurch Town Hall.
Māori and Pasifika Stars Lead Cast in New Zealand Opera Production of The Pearl Fishers
Māori and Pasifika singers take three of the four principal roles in a new Auckland production of Georges Bizet's The Pearl Fishers, marking a significant shift in representation for the industry.
New Collection He Kete Kīwaha Celebrates the Creativity and Character of Te Reo Māori
Respected academic and author Professor Hona Black has released He Kete Kīwaha, a new book featuring over 180 Māori idioms to help speakers express humor, emotion, and cultural depth.
Matariki Whatarau and Leading Artists Mentor Rangatahi for Manawa Ora Theatre Production
Actor Matariki Whatarau and a team of professional artist mentors are guiding Tāmaki Makaurau rangatahi to turn their lived experiences into an original stage production through Ngā Rangatahi Toa.
Dr Atakohu Middleton Makes Literary History with Te Reo Māori Short Story Collection Waka Aroha
Author and broadcaster Dr Atakohu Middleton has released Waka Aroha: He Kohinga Pakipoto, believed to be the first sole-authored collection of original short stories written entirely in te reo Māori for adults.
New KOHA Initiative to Boost Māori and Pasifika Talent at 2027 World Buskers Festival
The World Buskers Festival returns to Ōtautahi in January 2027 with KOHA, a new initiative led by Savannah Tukariri designed to increase Indigenous representation and celebrate the pūkenga of Māori and Pasifika performers.
Stan Walker Invites Kura to Celebrate Whakapapa through New Waiata
Award-winning Māori artist Stan Walker has launched a new initiative for Aotearoa schools to celebrate identity and family through his song 'Family Tree', with a chance to perform live.
Ngāpuhi Designer Jordan Tane Finalist in Best Design Awards for Takiwātanga-Led Research
Jordan Tane is redefining takiwātanga as a superpower, using her lived experience with autism to create accessible visual resources for whānau navigating youth mental health and state intervention.
Auckland Museum Opens Te Ripo o te Moana Gallery to Feature Māori and Pacific Treasures
Auckland Museum has launched a new exhibition space, Te Ripo o te Moana, allowing visitors to view significant Māori and Pacific objects while major gallery renovations continue.
New Zealand music industry seeks specific support for Māori artists in new election manifesto
A coalition of Aotearoa’s music industry leaders has launched a seven-point election manifesto calling for increased government backing, specifically highlighting the need for support for Māori music.
New sketch comedy series Urzila highlights Māori and New Zealand talent on Neon
Māori actor and filmmaker Madeleine Sami joins a star-studded cast of local comedians in the new self-titled sketch series Urzila, set to debut on Neon this Tuesday.
Posthumous release of Kelly Ana Morey’s ‘epic Māori novel’ celebrates author’s legacy
The final novel by the late Kelly Ana Morey, titled Ordinary People Like Us, has been published on the first anniversary of her death following a collaborative editing effort by fellow writer Catherine Chidgey and editor Harriet Allan.
Jordyn with a Why Sets Sights on Abbey Road to Take Te Reo Māori Global
Māori musicians Jordyn with a Why, MOHI, and Hope are preparing for a London recording session at Abbey Road Studios as part of the '4 The Masses' initiative to amplify te reo Māori on the world stage.
New Māori whānau drama This Is Home set to debut on MĀORI+
Directed by Awanui Simich-Pene, the intergenerational whānau drama This Is Home will premiere on MĀORI+ and Whakaata Māori on Monday, 26 August 2026.
Dragon Meets Taniwha: Māori and Japanese Culinary Traditions Unite in Wellington
Michelin-starred Japanese chef Keiko Kuwakino joins Māori chef Joe McLeod for a landmark culinary event in Wellington celebrating the shared foraging and cooking heritages of both nations.
Indigenous Fashion Showcase Celebrates Māori Design at New Zealand Fashion Week
The largest Indigenous fashion show in Aotearoa has taken center stage at New Zealand Fashion Week, highlighting the strength and creativity of Māori designers.
New Zealand Indigenous Fashion Symposium Marks Landmark Expansion at Fashion Week
Designer Kiri Nathan has led the inaugural New Zealand Indigenous Fashion Symposium, bringing together makers from Aotearoa, Taiwan, Alaska, and Fiji to discuss the future of the industry.
Greatsouth weaves Māori history and alt rock into new album Hellhole of the Pacific
Musician Payton Taplin, performing as Greatsouth, has released a new album that blends taonga pūoro with alternative rock to challenge New Zealand's historical narratives.
Māori Culture Celebrated as Key Global Identity for Aotearoa
Māori culture continues to be a defining global identifier for Aotearoa, from the enduring impact of the Te Māori exhibition to the use of te reo Māori in Hollywood blockbusters.
Artist Samsara Jade Champions Raranga Integrity in Global Design Collaborations
Māori artist Samsara Jade is advocating for the cultural depth of raranga as her work enters global commercial spaces and a prestigious exhibition at Auckland Museum.
Choreographer Kura Te Ua champions rangatahi through the return of Autaia haka theatre
Artistic director Kura Te Ua is preparing to bring hundreds of young performers to Auckland’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre for the return of Autaia, a platform blending kapa haka and theatre.
National Choir Opens Auditions for Māori and Pasifika Rangatahi Following International Success
The New Zealand Secondary Students Choir is calling for Māori and Pasifika singers aged 13 to 18 to audition for its 2027-28 intake, including a dedicated workshop at the Ōtara Music and Arts Centre.
Son & Water call on fans to get up and dance with their latest single ‘Drop It Down’
Hamilton’s Son & Water are inviting Aotearoa to let go and move with their new single, ‘Drop It Down’.Hamilton’s Son & Water are inviting Aotearoa to let go and move with their new single, ‘Drop It Down’.
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Pānuitia →Inaugural Poumatua Festival brings kapa haka, kōrero and Māori culture to the heart of Auckland
The inaugural three-day cultural festival will be held from Thursday 17 September to Saturday 19 September 2026. Poumatua Festival will bring kapa haka, kōrero, markets and Māori culture into the heart of the city, with events across Auckland Town Hall, Aotea Square and Q Theatre.
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Pānuitia →Māori Literature Dominates 2026 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults
Māori authors and illustrators secured wins in seven of nine categories at the 2026 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, with Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan taking the Margaret Mahy top honour.
Alien Weaponry documentary Kua Tupu Te Ara arrives on Māori+
Directed by Kent Belcher, the intimate documentary following the global rise of te reo Māori metal band Alien Weaponry has launched on the Māori+ streaming platform.
Māori Gothic Horror Leads Resurgence of Aotearoa Debut Cinema in 2026
A wave of debut feature films, headlined by Taratoa Stappard’s Māori gothic horror Mārama, marks 2026 as a landmark year for New Zealand cinema despite a challenging funding environment.
Sacred Thread: Dr Rangituatahi Te Kanawa to Feature at Auckland Museum Weaving Showcase
Renowned textile conservator Dr Rangituatahi Te Kanawa will lead a celebration of ancestral weaving and contemporary fashion at Auckland Museum next week.
Story time with Mere Whaanga at Wairoa Public Library
Māhia author and illustrator Mere Whaanga reading books to children at the Wairoa library recent holiday programme
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