KAUPAPA | ABOUT

Join us for an extraordinary evening of opera, waiata, poetry and prose as we open Kōanga Festival 2026.

Presented in partnership with New Zealand Opera, this special event celebrates the richness and beauty of te reo Māori through an exquisite programme of music and spoken word. Featuring a mixture of kaiwaiata, poets and performers, this one-night-only gathering honours te reo Māori in its many forms.

MC’d by Kawiti Waetford, TĀKIRITIA! features performances by Majic Paora, Rehekōrero, Tūrongo Collective, a reading from Shakespeare’s Macbeth by Maaka Pohatu, and opera from Jordan Fonoti-Fuimaono and Maia Amosa. The evening will conclude with kai and bubbles as we come together to mark the beginning of Kōanga Festival 2026.

Me whakanui ka tika tō tātou ahurei, kia hari, kia ngahau ai te noho! Let's celebrate our festival with joy and entertainment!

NGĀ TĀNGATA | CREATIVES

Kaiwhakataki | Host — Kawiti Waetford
Kaiwhakataki | Host — Amber Curreen
Kaiwaiata | Singer — Majic Paora
Kaiwaiata Opera | Opera Singer — Jordan Fonoti-Fuimaono
Kaiwaiata Opera | Opera Singer — Maia Amosa
Kaiwhakaari | Performer — Maaka Pohatu
Spoken Word — Rehekōrero
Performance — Tūrongo Collective
Performance — Tūmata Kōkiri