Hosted in a different location every two years, the four-day national kapa haka festival attracts thousands of people to watch the top rōpu (groups) from around the country.
Interest in the festival is high with 5,600 tickets already sold, ahead of previous festivals, and large accommodation sites are booked out throughout the region, Mayor Justin Lester says.
“I encourage Wellingtonians to get behind one of the best events of the year. This is the pinnacle event for kapa haka in the country and is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to see this event in our city.”
It is 40 years since the competition was held in the capital city, and 21 years since it was in the wider Wellington region.
“We are expecting about 60,000 people over the four-day event and I can’t wait to see Wellingtonians embrace the chance to watch the passion and vibrancy of the performances.”
Te Matatini chief executive Carl Ross says there is already a lengthy waiting list for corporate tickets.
“Tickets to the Te Matatini corporate lounges sold out in less than a minute after being released. This is indicative of the huge interests in the festival.
“However unfortunately, because of this interest, some of our whānau have fallen victim to ticket scalping via the Viagogo website, some paying over double the normal ticket price.
“There are still general admission tickets available and I encourage any person wishing to purchase tickets to Te Matatini to do so via the official Ticketek website.”
WREDA Events and Experiences General Manager Warrick Dent says that while Te Matatini takes place in Wellington City, the economic and social impact will be spread across the Wellington region.
“Teams and their supporters are staying in a range of accommodation including hotels, motels and marae in all corners of the region. This will see the region, not just the city, come alive with Māori ahurea and live up to Wellington’s reputation as the capital of culture.”
Kua tere pau haere ngā tīkiti mō te hui kapa haka Te Matatini
E whakatenatenahia ana Te Whanganui a Tara whānui kia tīkina ā rātou tīkiti ki te tino mahi a Rēhia o te ao Māori ki Aotearoa, arā, ko Te Matatini ki te Ao, tū ana ki te Whare Tākaro Nui o Westpac atu i te 21 Huitanguru.
Ka whakatūria ki tēnā wāhi, ki tēnā wāhi ia rua tau, mō te whā rā ka muia tēnei hui kapa haka ā-motu e te tini, e te mano ki te mātaki i ngā tino rōpū mai i tēnā pito, i tēnā pito huri noa i te whenua.
Kātahi te kaingākau o te tangata kia haere, kua hokona kē te 5600 tīkiti, nui noa ake i ngā whakataetae o mua, ka kī katoa ngā wāhi noho nui puta noa i te rohe te kī a te Koromatua Justin Lester.
“Nei te karanga ki a tātou o Te Whanganui a Tara kia tautoko i tēnei o ngā tino hui o te tau. He whakataetae nui whakaharahara tēnei mō te kapa haka huri noa i te whenua, me kī he kotuku rerenga tahi ka tau ki tō tātou nei tāone.”
Nō te whā tekau tau ki muri rā anō i tū ai ki roto i te tāone matua, a, rua tekau tau mai anō i tū ki te rohe whānui o Te Whanganui a Tara.
“Te āhua nei 60,000 pea te nui o ngā tāngata ka tae mai i roto i ngā rā e whā o te hui, ā, hīkaka katoa au kia kite i a Pōneke e hou mai ana ki te mātaki i te ihi, i te wehi o te tū o ngā kapa.”
E ai ki a Carl Ross te tumuaki o Te Matatini, he roa rawa kē te rārangi whanga mō ngā tīkiti rangatōpū.
“I pau ngā tīkiti ki ngā taiwhanga rangatōpū i roto i te 1 miniti i muri i te tuwheratanga. He tohu tēnei o te kaingākau o te tangata ki te whakataetae.
“Heoi anō te raru o tēnei kaingākau, kua hinga ētahi o ā tātou whānau i te tinihanga hoko tīkiti i runga i te paetukutuku Viagogo, kua mate ētahi ki te utu whakarea rua mō te tīkiti kotahi.
“Kei te wātea tonu ngā tīkiti whānui me taku akiaki i te tangata ahakoa ko wai e hiahia ana ki te hoko tīkiti mō Te Matatini, me hoko mai i te paetukutuku whaimana o Ticketek.”
E mea ana te Kaiwhakahaere Whānui o ngā Hui me ngā Wheako WREDA ahakoa e tū ana Te Matatini ki te puku o Pōneke, ka nui tonu ngā hua ā-ohanga, ā-pāpori hoki puta noa i te rohe whānui o Te Whanganui a Tara.
“E noho ana ngā rōpū me ā rātou kaitautoko i ngā momo wharenoho, tae atu ki ngā hōtēra, ngā mōtēra me ngā marae me kī ngā kokonga katoa o te rohe. Mā tēnei e korikori ai te rohe katoa, kaua te tāone noa iho, ki te ahurea a te Māori, kia eke ai te kōrero mō Pōneke kātahi te tino tāone matua o te ahurea.”