Matariki Ahuka Nui – Dawn Ceremony

In partnership with Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki and Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, the Dunedin City Council and Tūhura Otago Museum welcome everyone to a public event to celebrate the Māori new year.

For iwi, the pre-dawn rising of the star Puaka and the Matariki cluster signals the end of one full cycle of the seasons and the beginning of the next. Join us on the Tūhura Otago Museum Reserve for a karakia to farewell the past year and welcome the new one.

The ceremony will include a whakamaumahara to remember those who have passed away, and a whakamāramataka about the stars and their significance for the changing season.

We warmly invite attendees to bring a printed photo of whānau or friends who have passed away over the past year. During the whakamaumahara, you will be invited to hold the image of your loved one and speak their name aloud in remembrance.

Following the dawn event, gather together for some kai before a kapa haka performance by He Waka Kōtuia, then continue the Matariki celebrations with our Community Fun Day, which begins at 9.30am.

Puaka kai rau, Matariki ahuka nui. Nau mai, haere mai. Everyone is welcome.