Kōanga Festival, New Zealand’s annual celebration of Māori performing arts, has unveiled its full programme for 2026.
Returning to Te Pou Theatre for its 12th year, this year’s festival will bring together theatre, music, spoken word, comedy, visual arts and community events in a vibrant celebration of new Māori and Pacific storytelling.
Named after the spring season of new growth, Kōanga Festival has continued to share world-class Indigenous performing arts in full bloom, cultivate bold ideas, and nurture emerging voices, creating a space where new stage narratives are developed, shared, and embraced.
At a time when the New Zealand arts sector has faced significant funding challenges, the festival remains committed to championing Māori and Pacific artists, developing new work, and creating opportunities.
Across eleven days, audiences can experience new works alongside established productions, multidisciplinary collaborations, live performances, play readings and the much-loved free Whānau Day.
Opening the festival on Thursday, 10th of September, Tākiritia, presented in partnership with the New Zealand Opera, is a stunning evening of opera, waiata, poetry and prose hosted by Kawiti Waetford.
This special event celebrates the richness and beauty of te reo Māori through an exquisite programme of music and spoken word. Featuring a mixture of kaiwaiata, poets and performers, this one-night-only gathering honours te reo Māori in its many forms.
A festival favourite, Whānau Day will return on Saturday, the 12th of September, transforming Te Pou Theatre and Corban Estate Arts Centre into a vibrant hub of free entertainment for all ages.
Featuring storytelling in Where The Wild Things Are-inspired story grove, cultural performances, theatre for tamariki, market stalls, kai vendors, workshops, street dance, kapa haka, live music and activities throughout the day, Whānau Day celebrates storytelling in all its forms while welcoming thousands of whānau through the doors to experience the festival.
On Sunday, the 13th of September, audiences can be immersed in Ihirangaranga, a unique collaboration combining taonga pūoro, live music, spoken word and live speed painting.
Featuring Horomona Horo, Dr Jeremy Mayall, Michael Moore and Regan Balzer, the one-night-only performance draws on cultural concepts to transport audiences in a truly multidisciplinary experience.
Grass Roots, the Auckland premiere of the acclaimed Wellington musical comedy show based on Raureti Ormond’s life as the (very) queer son of a pro rugby player, on Wednesday 16 September. It’s a heartfelt, hilarious and charming odyssey through the NZ rugby ages, performed by Ormond himself.
Taking place during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, I Was Born To Speak takes the stage on 17–18 September. Created and performed by Billy Reynolds McCarthy, the solo work blends spoken word, theatre and kapa haka to tell a deeply personal story of reclaiming te reo Māori, honouring whakapapa and giving voice to generations whose stories have too often gone unheard.
At the heart of the festival, the Kōanga Playwrights Programme returns, showcasing four brand-new plays over a weekend of SCRIPTS & SIPS | Play-reading Brunches.
On Saturday, the 19th of September, AROHA-HA brings together a stellar lineup of Māori comedians for a night of stand-up and unforgettable laughs. Headlined by Kura Forrester, featuring Timprovise, Hoani Hotene and Janaye Henry, with more acts to be announced, this special Kōanga Festival event celebrates the depth, diversity and brilliance of Māori comedy.
Closing the festival on Sunday, the 20th of September, acclaimed spoken-word theatre production UPU returns to Tāmaki Makaurau for the first time in several years.
Kōanga Festival will continue to champion the next generation of Māori storytellers while celebrating established artists across multiple disciplines.
More entertainment here
