TVNZ and Whakaata Māori will team up to provide live and free-to-air coverage of this year’s Te Matatini Festival in Ngāmotu New Plymouth.
New Zealand’s largest Māori performing arts festival will kick off on February 25 and end on March 1.
Those wanting to tune in to the prestigious and highly anticipated kapa haka competition will be able to watch it on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+. It will also be on Whakaata Māori and Māori+.
“Having Whakaata Māori and TVNZ onboard again for Te Matatini 2025 is a significant triumph as it means the power and beauty of kapa haka at the most elite level can be enjoyed by everyone,” Tā Herewini Parata, chairperson of Te Matatini, said.
Te Reo Tātaki’s Manukura Māori, Scotty Morrison, and Mātai Smith will lead TVNZ’s presenting lineup, with Te Rauhiringa Brown and Stacey Morrison reporting.
A rotating panel of guests will also provide analysis and highlights between performances and discuss the history of Taranaki, the host region.
Te Karere will also broadcast from the festival each weekday from 4pm.
A second season of The Road to Te Matatini will be available on TVNZ+ on February 6, following groups as they prepare for the festival.
TV viewers will also be able to tune into Te Matatini’s Translate service to hear translations and the meaning of each waiata in English. On its final day, translation will also be available in Mandarin, Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, Cook Island Māori and an audio description via the festival app.