Matariki in Napier this Friday

Published: 18 June 2024

Last Updated: 24 June 2024

Lighten up midwinter with a night of family, fun, food and festivities for Matariki in Napier.

Matariki Ahuriri kicks off at 5.30pm this Friday on the corner of Tennyson and Hastings Streets in Napier CBD and runs until 8.30pm.

Mayor Kirsten Wise is thrilled to be welcoming the community into the city to spend an evening together.

“Matariki is precious to New Zealand, it’s truly and authentically ours, it’s a wonderful time to come together as a community, think about our aspirations and wishes for the year ahead and remember those people who have passed in the year gone,” says Mayor Wise. “We will have performers, art, food trucks, activities and lots of reasons to come into town and spend some time enjoying the vibrancy and buzz of our city. It’s going to have a real festival feel about it.”

The evening will include nine hanging stars lighting up Tennyson Street to symbolize the Matariki constellation. MTG Hawke’s Bay will be open with activities for children and their caregivers.

Performers will include Kahurangi Dance Group and Flames of Plenty Glow Show. There will also be kapa haka from Te Kura Kaupapa o Te Ara Hou, Te Tini o Orotu and Te Urunga Waka (Māori Studies, EIT). Musician and dancer Pereri King will be the MC for the evening.

There will be plenty of food on offer such as donuts, dumplings, paella, ice cream, BBQ, bao buns, kai moana, mac’n’cheese and vegan delights from Napier’s iconic Hapi.

To add to the festival feeling the evening will also include market stalls like clothing, pounamu and kete, and activities such as face painting, colouring in, spin-the-wheel and caricatures.

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