This year’s Te Matatini Festival set a new standard for cultural celebration and community impact, according to a newly released report on the national kapa haka competition held in Taranaki in February.
Staged in Ngāmotu New Plymouth, Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga delivered a $24 million boost to the region’s economy and attracted the most diverse audience in its history, the report found.
“From marae, hotels, motels and locals hosting whānau, to schools hosting group practices, to our local businesses and councils who opened their facilities across the region for our manuhiri to enjoy. This is a heartfelt thank you to the whole of Te Kāhui Maunga for making this such a wonderful and memorable experience for all our manuhiri near and afar,” said Elijah Pue, chair of Te Kāhui Maunga Society Inc.
The report highlights Te Matatini’s growing appeal, with more than half of attendees experiencing the festival for the first time. There was also a notable increase in NZ European participation—44% this year, compared to 27% at previous events.
While 70% of attendees identified as Māori—a lower proportion than at previous events—the festival’s reach across communities was clear. The audience had a strong female skew, with four out of five attendees being women, and there were more older people than usual, especially those aged 60 and over.
“We have received the impact evaluation report for Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga and it shows significant growth and momentum across nearly all aspects of the national kapa haka festival,” said Carl Ross, Te Matatini’s chief executive.
Audience satisfaction was exceptionally positive, with the event earning a 9 out of 10 rating. Many described the festival as a “celebration of Māoritanga,” and praised the authentic environment where te reo Māori was celebrated and widely spoken.
“While the focus of Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga was the national kapa haka competition, the festival is also a celebration of te ao Māori, supporting the revitalisation of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori,” Ross added.
Economically, the festival made a direct contribution of almost $24 million to the region. Visitor spending alone accounted for $17.4 million, with additional millions from participating teams, sponsors and event partners. While slightly below initial forecasts due to tighter household budgets, this figure marks the highest economic impact in the festival’s history.
In addition to the findings in the report, estimates from Te Matatini and Creative New Zealand indicate that around 70,000 people attended the festival in person over five days. The event’s reach was even greater online, with television and streaming broadcasts attracting approximately 2.5 million viewers, and social media content generating over 21 million views across platforms.
Beyond the numbers, the report found that the festival’s biggest successes were social and cultural. Many people said the event made them more interested in Māori culture and taught them more about Māori traditions. Stakeholders praised the festival for bringing people together, helping Māori businesses and building community pride.
“The findings further demonstrate the positive impact the Te Matatini national kapa haka festival continues to have on Aotearoa New Zealand and our diverse communities. We will consider the findings of the report as we plan for future Te Matatini festivals.”
Data for the evaluation was collected primarily through a survey of people attending the festival and a second survey of key festival stakeholders.
The full report is available on Te Matatini’s website.
