Auckland Heritage Festival to Showcase Māra Kai and Mana Whenua Food Histories

The Auckland Heritage Festival is set to return for its 22nd year on Saturday 26 September 2026, featuring over 150 events that explore the deep connections between kai, whenua, and community. This year's theme, "Tastes of Tāmaki: A Heritage Feast," places a significant focus on the original food systems of mana whenua, acknowledging that the region's food history began long before European arrival. A key highlight of the festival includes guided explorations of ancestral gardening sites. In Devonport, the archaeological history of Māori gardening will be examined through "The Māra Kai of Te Haukapua." Meanwhile, in the south, a hīkoi through the Ōtuataua Stonefields Historic Reserve at Ihumātao will offer visitors a look at one of the city's most vital cultural landscapes. These stonefields serve as physical evidence of sophisticated cultivation techniques and the enduring relationship between tangata and the volcanic landscape. Mayor Wayne Brown noted that food serves as a gateway to understanding the city's history, reflecting generations of trading, growing, and cooking across different cultures. The festival also highlights how subsequent migration has influenced the local palate, featuring everything from Italian gastronomy to the Kiwi-Indian history found at the Swaminarayan Temple in Papatoetoe. Other events will explore Colombian migrant heritage and traditional New Zealand recipe books. Running until Sunday 11 October 2026, the festival aims to present food not just as sustenance, but as a vessel for whakapapa and mātauranga. By centering the māra of mana whenua alongside migrant kitchens, the programme celebrates the diverse culinary traditions that continue to shape Tāmaki Makaurau today.