ROTORUA, Thursday 17th September 2026 — Aotearoa's longest-running reo Māori immersion course for adult education is turning 40 this November— and thousands of former students from around Aotearoa and the world are being called home to Rotorua to celebrate.

Award-winning children’s artist, Miss Nicky Says, is helping tamariki across Aotearoa and beyond to learn more about their whakapapa and tūrangawaewae, with the full release of her latest kaupapa, ‘Pepeha’ during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. 

New Zealanders are taking real steps to look after their health, with new research showing more Kiwi adults are now eating five or more servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day, compared with three years ago.

Musical legends of Aotearoa and the Pacific will unite at Kingston Calling, a vibrant new two-day music and culture festival transforming Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on 19 and 20 February 2027.  

‍ The inaugural three-day cultural festival will be held from Thursday 17 September to Saturday 19 September 2026. Poumatua Festival will bring kapa haka, kōrero, markets and Māori culture into the heart of the city, with events across Auckland Town Hall, Aotea Square and Q Theatre.‍

Brutha Rodz (Ngāpuhi, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi, Te Kāhui Maunga) has opened his heart in a recently released deeply personal and emotional waiata titled ‘Mokemoke’.

Since its release, the reggae waiata has begun finding its way into the hearts of listeners across Aotearoa.

Victoria University of Wellington’s International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) is delighted to announce the appointment of Kasi Valu as the Emerging Pasifika Writer in Residence for 2026.  

A Yale PhD candidate moved to Whanganui to investigate what nearly a decade of legal personhood has meant for Te Awa o Whanganui and its people.

Stan Walker (Tūhoe, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Pūkenga, Tūhourangi, Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Whakaue and Ngāi Tahu) will perform his first headline concert in Aotearoa since before COVID this October, a one-night-only orchestral show at The Trusts Arena in Tāmaki Makaurau on Saturday, 17 October 2026.

Image Credit - Mataara Stokes

A striking new projection artwork celebrating Māori starlore will illuminate the external façade of Te Waihorotiu Station from 8 July as part of Matariki ki te Manawa, Auckland Live's city centre programme within Auckland Council Events' Matariki Festival 2026.

Returning for its longest ever season, Tērā te Auahi will feature 19 performances, giving audiences and summer weekend travellers more opportunities to experience the acclaimed production.

Matariki Festival 2026 is proudly presented by Ngāti Tamaoho, in collaboration with Auckland Council Events. This is the third and final year of Ngāti Tamaoho as iwi manaaki.  ‍‍

The community is warmly invited to a planting day at Bothamley Park next month, along with a number of activities in the city, to celebrate Matariki.‍ ‍

The planting event, from 10am-12.30pm on Saturday 18 July, will put 1800 plants in the ground as part of the ongoing programme to protect Te Awarua o Porirua Harbour.‍ ‍

As Tāmaki Makaurau comes together to celebrate Matariki, Matariki ki te Manawa returns to the city centre with illuminated art, storytelling, augmented reality and live performance inspired by the people, places and cultural narratives of the region.

A te reo Māori expert who lights up the ‘gram with discussions of humour and idioms in te reo will join Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington as their first Professor of te reo Māori in late July.

‍ Well before dawn this Saturday morning, alarms will go off in tens of thousands of homes around the country as hunters kick off another game bird season.‍‍ ‍

‍Aotearoa-raised Niuean-Samoan pop artist Tyrun opens up in the release of his debut EP ‘Fall In Love Again’, blending Vagahau Niue (the Niuean language) with contemporary pop and R&B to explore identity, love and belonging.‍ ‍

After more than four decades as a defining voice in Aotearoa music, singer-songwriter Betty-Anne Hall (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Tainui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is beginning a new chapter with the release of her debut solo album, ‘Slow Burn’.‍‍ ‍

AUCKLAND, Monday 13h October 2025: Rural New Zealand drives our economy and this month the spotlight will firmly focus on thousands of rural women whose vital contributions often go unseen. 

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Emma Dunlop-Bennett as Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika).