The haka is here! The “Olympics” of kapa haka, Te Matatini Festival, is kicking off in Tāmaki Makaurau in February but the haka is already set to go.

It’s been 21 years since the highly anticipated competition was hosted in Auckland, as the Te Matatini Festival is held in a different Aotearoa region every second year.

Beginning on February 22, from morning to night, audiences can expect four full days of pure kapa haka.

Through kapa haka and the performing arts, Māori can access and express their cultural identity through the power and beauty of waiata and dance. As the premiere kapa haka event is a huge part of the Māori calendar, the Te Matatini Festival contributes to the celebration and revitalisation of te reo Māori.

Since the last two festivals were delayed due to Covid-19, performers, their whānau and kapa haka fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting the event’s return for four years.

Their passion and eagerness for fierce competition, however, have only grown stronger, and this year is expected to be a huge celebration.

Tainui-based Te Iti Kahurangi. Photo / Supplied

As 2022 marked 50 years since the festival’s inception in 1972, Paora Sharples, chair of the Tāmaki Makaurau Senior Kapa Haka Society, says that Māori excellence elevates at every festival, and with the number of groups wanting to participate increasing every year, the 2023 milestone may be the best showcase yet.

“No doubt you’ll be seeing new performances, new ideas, joining the traditional with contemporary performance, pushing the boundaries, doing things that haven’t been done before - this is all part of the excellence and development of kapa haka.”

Kapa haka rōpū (teams) put in thousands of hours of training towards the art form, composing, learning and rehearsing in order to first qualify for the prestigious competition, and then to prepare a single 30-minute performance for the national stage.

This year’s celebration will also be a chance to showcase Auckland’s unique Māori identity and since it’s being held at Eden Park, a place of excellence itself with rugby and the All Blacks, Sharples says it’s the best environment to showcase kapa haka at the highest level.

“A lot has happened in those 20 years but it’s time to once again acknowledge what kapa haka does on a national and international level, how it’s productive, educational and how much it is a part of our history and it’s a celebration really, of who we are as a people,” Sharples said.

This year’s Te Matatini Festival continues the legacy of showing the best of kapa haka the world has to offer. Sharples said for Auckland-based kapa haka rōpū, it is a great matter of pride as Auckland has won nationals the most. The current champions, Ngā Tūmanako from Hoani Waititi Marae in West Auckland, will be defending their title.

TVNZ is televising the event.