Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Every year, Wellington City Council celebrates Te Wiki o te Reo Māori with a variety of exciting national and local kaupapa or events.

‘Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori’ is projected on the side of the Te Papa building as viewed from across the waterfront.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is an annual campaign led by Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) promoting te reo as a language for all New Zealanders. Every year the campaign encourages whānau from across Aotearoa, including organisations, schools, workplaces, and homes, to give te reo Māori a go.

Te reo Māori has been an official language of New Zealand since 1987, and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori has been celebrated in New Zealand since 1975, in an effort to raise awareness of the language, and get New Zealanders to embrace te reo Māori and use it more.

Our 2023 celebrations

This year Te Hui Ahurei Reo Māori, the Māori Language Festival, returned to the capital for the second time with a new programme of events throughout Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.

Headlining the festival were two of the best kapa haka groups in the world. In collaboration with Te Matatini, the 2023 joint second-place winners Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti and finalists Angitu performed their distinctive style of haka for Ngā Kapa Haka o Te Matatini at the Michael Fowler Centre.

We look forward to celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori again in 2024.