“We are delighted to be a strategic partner with Te Matatini in bringing this exciting event to the capital,” says Professor Rawinia Higgins, the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Māori).

“This is a chance to see the very best kapa haka teams from around the country—it’s a major cultural event that we think Wellington people will embrace. It will be a great opportunity to manaaki thousands of performers and other visitors to our region.”

The four-day festival will be held from 20-24 February 2019 at Westpac stadium. Teams perform from Thursday to Saturday, with the finals held on Sunday. The official draw for the performances is on the festival website.

Held biennially, the festival has been named Te Matatini Ki te Ao (the many faces to the world) in 2019 to recognise its international status.

Te Matatini Chief Executive, Carl Ross, says, “We are excited with the new strategic alliance that has been developed between Te Matatini and Victoria University of Wellington. We welcome the University to the increasing number of Te Matatini Strategic Partners who contribute to the success of our event.

“We are expecting 60,000-65,000 ticket holders to attend the festival over the four days, resulting in a $19.3m contribution to the regional economy.”

Early bird ticket sales will be available from the Te Matatini website on 1 October 2018.