Kapa haka and music for Matariki Festival
Kapa haka, soul and R&B will take centre stage at Nelson’s Matariki Festival on Friday.
The Te Huihuinga-o-Matariki (the gathering of the stars) festival will be held at the Trafalgar Centre and the adjoining Rutherford Park this year.
The Matariki market will be open from 11am–9pm, offering a diverse range of food as well as arts and crafts for sale. The Nelson City Council is asking visitors to bring their own plates, cutlery, drink bottles and reusable bags to reduce waste.
The council is hosting the festival in collaboration with Ngā Iwi e Waru o Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui and Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui Māori Culture Council.
This year’s event will include Taku Kara Tīpuna, the regional secondary school kapa haka competition hosted by Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui Māori Culture Council in the Trafalgar Centre, from 11am to 6pm.
Live performances from 6pm-9pm include soul and R&B artist Louis Baker, rising local singer songwriter Imani-J and local primary school kapa haka finalists Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tuia Te Matangi and Te Pītau Whakarei.
The council advised that with high volumes of traffic expected in the city, and limited parking those attending were encouraged to walk, bike, bus and carpool to the event. Parking will be available at Wakatu Square, Millers Acre, and Trafalgar Park.
There will be no access to cash withdrawals on-site and limited access for eftpos transactions so cash is the preferred option.
Entry is by gold coin koha.
If you want to mix in a bit of sport to the festival celebrations, Marist will be taking on Kahurangi at nearby Trafalgar Park at midday on Friday in the final round of the Stuff Tasman Trophy. Defending champions Kahurangi need a win to make sure of their semi-final place.
Caption: The regional secondary school kapa haka competitions, shown here in 2023, will return to the Trafalgar Centre on Friday as part of the Matariki Festival.
By Warren Gamble, Nelson Mail
This Post Has 0 Comments