Ōpōtiki Matariki festival finalist second year in a row
Hot on the heels of a successfully completed Matariki 2025 festival of events, the Ōpōtiki District Council’s isite & Events team are thrilled with the recent announcement, that for a second year in a row, the Ōpōtiki Matariki festival is a finalist in the New Zealand Events Association (NZEA) Event Awards.
The annual awards celebrate the innovation, creativity, and resilience of New Zealand's event industry. At last year’s NZEA event, the Matariki Festival 2023 gained top honours in the category: Best Community or Not For Profit Event with under 3000 Attendees.
Ōpōtiki District Council’s Experience and Engagement Manager, Joseph Hayes said, when we first started the Ōpōtiki Matariki Festival back in 2018, it was a small one-day event designed to bring some life and connection to the winter months.
“To see how it has grown into a vibrant, multi-week celebration that reflects our culture, creativity, and community is incredibly special. Being announced as a finalist in the NZEA Event Awards, alongside incredible events like the Auckland Diwali Festival, the Tainui Waka Kapa Haka Festival, and the Masters Hockey World Cup, is a testament to the hard work and support of so many people over the years,” Mr Hayes said.
Council’s Experience and Engagement Coordinator, Iranui Huriwai, said it is an absolute honor to be nominated again this year.
“Our team works incredibly hard alongside our community to ensure the Ōpōtiki Matariki Festival shines brightly. Getting top honours last year and named as finalist again this year, among some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s best events is truly amazing.
"The 2024 festival was a real celebration of our community here in Ōpōtiki. We had a time capsule burial filled with mementos from local businesses and schools, the enchanting Hukutaia Domain Night Walk, Waka Ama with our local club at Ohiwa, and He Aro Ki Ngā Whetu stargazing and workshops at Waiaua Marae. The Matariki Pacific Pulse event was an electrifying celebration that brought together our pacific communities in a joyous commemoration of both the Solomon Islands Independence Day and Matariki. It was a perfect way to end the festival with unity, culture, and a vibrant sense of community.
“It was amazing to see a huge level of community support from organisers, sponsors, and those turning up to the events. Last year, we saw some of the biggest crowds engaging with mātauranga Māori and celebrating Matariki through our events.
Some of the organisations who helped in the delivery of events in the 2024 festival include Sport BOP, EBOP Primary Schools Sport Association, Mataatua Sports, Kura Ki Tai Waka Ama Club, Motu Trails Charitable Trust, Pacific Communities Trust, Hukutaia Domain Care Group, Ōpōtiki Deluxe Theatre, Waiaua Marae, Ngati Patumoana Hapu, Ko Kollective Trust, and Ōpōtiki Golf Club.
“The Matariki festival is a cultural celebration of Ōpōtiki, and the recognition we receive from being finalists belongs to everyone who makes this event possible,” Ms Huriwai said.
