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Aotearoa musician Tiki Taane will headline this year’s Puaka Matariki Festival in Dunedin, with organisers promising a month-long programme of events celebrating the Māori New Year.
The festival centres on the free Matariki mā Puaka community event at Logan Park on July 10, featuring cultural performances, workshops, kai, live music and two large-scale drone light shows inspired by the stars of Puaka and Matariki.
Community celebration
Puaka Matariki Festival event producer Rewa Pene says the festival continues to grow as more people embrace opportunities to celebrate the Māori New Year.
“As the stars of Puaka and Matariki rise over Ōtepoti, Logan Park will come alive for one of the city’s biggest winter gatherings.
“Matariki mā Puaka is about remembrance, reflection, celebration, and looking ahead. It’s a chance for people to come together through music, storytelling, light, kai, creativity, and shared experiences.”
The community festival will run from 3pm to 9pm and will include the return of the popular Matariki mā Puaka drone light show.
Headline act confirmed
Rewa says organisers are excited to welcome Tiki Taane as this year’s headline performer.
“Tiki has a really special ability to bring people together across generations and communities.
“His music carries both energy and depth, and he’ll bring something truly memorable to this year’s celebration.”
The event will also feature a strong line-up of local performers, including Dubious Groove, Tough Guy, Ngahau Tene and Te Kapa o Rukutia, which recently qualified for Te Matatini 2027.
Showcasing local talent
Rewa says supporting local artists remains an important part of the festival’s kaupapa.
“We’re incredibly proud to have such a strong local line-up alongside Tiki Taane.
“These artists and performers help make Matariki mā Puaka feel uniquely ours as a southern celebration.”
Month-long programme
Alongside the Logan Park event, the wider festival programme will include dawn ceremonies, community celebrations, storytelling, waiata sessions, workshops and stargazing experiences throughout July.
Grounded in the themes of remembrance, reflection, celebration and connection, the festival invites people to gather beneath the winter stars and celebrate a uniquely southern expression of the Māori New Year.
Growing tradition
The Puaka Matariki Festival was established in 2009 to create opportunities for communities across Ōtepoti to engage with te ao Māori and celebrate the Māori New Year.
Since then, it has become a key fixture on Dunedin’s winter events calendar, attracting residents and visitors alike.
