Te Anau Waitangi Festival Concert 2025
Lions Park 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM SATURDAY FEBRUARY 8
Te Anau Waitangi Festival Concert 2025
Lions Park, Saturday, February 8 | 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Pack your picnic blankets, water bottles, utensils, and sun protection for a vibrant day of music, kapa haka, and kai at the 2025 Waitangi Festival Concert.
Free Admission. Alcohol-Free.
The concert begins at 11:00 AM with a welcome and karakia, followed by a full programme of performances:
Ngā Herenga Waka Kapa Haka opens the stage
Niccolo Piccolo, Te Anau School Kapa Haka, and Top of the Hour bring music and energy
Hāngī lifted in time for lunch – bring a donation!
Enjoy a variety of Māori food stalls
Giant sandpit and waterslide for tamariki
See 'Ururaki' (an 11-metre-long hybrid Polynesian waka hourua) up close and meet its maker, Rua Paul.
Waka Ama experiences on the lakeshore with Te Piritahi a Rua Waka Ama
The concert concludes at 2:45 PM, just in time to head to the Fiordland Trails Trust Duck Derby at Upukerora River.
For those keen to continue the celebrations, join festival MC Matua Sonny and kapa haka performer Matua Te Ukaipo Rangihau for a jam session and sing-along (Wahi Waiata) at Redcliff Café, 5:00 PM.
A day of culture, connection, and celebration – we look forward to seeing you there.
Top of the Hour
Top of the Hour – Dunedin-based duo Bevan Gardiner and James Davy bring 16 years of musical experience to the stage, captivating audiences with their powerful vocals, electrifying guitar work, and dynamic harmonies. Covering a mix of pop, country, rock, folk, and rock 'n' roll, their high-energy performances are guaranteed to get the dance floor moving. Bevan, renowned for his tribute to John Denver, has toured extensively in NZ and Australia, while James has worked with legends like Dave Dobbyn and Rikki Morris. Don’t miss this must-see live act at Waitangi Festival Week!
Niccolo Piccolo
Get ready for an action-packed, musical adventure with Niccolo Piccolo, also known as Nicola Mitchell, an award-winning folk/country artist bringing her passion for te ao Māori to tamariki through colourful songs and storytelling. Nicola will take the stage with legendary instrumentalist Michael Muggeridge and tamariki from Fiordland, who attended their ukulele and waiata workshops earlier in the week. They will also perform a second set for the grown-ups!
Ngā Herenga Waka Kapa Haka
Ngā Herenga Waka Kapa Haka, co-hosts of the Te Anau Waitangi Festival, will return to the stage again in 2025! The group's performers are part of the 40+-strong Te Kapa Haka o Ngā Hau e Whā ki Murihiku, who qualified for Te Matatini in 2024 and will be travelling to the national competition hot on the heels of the Te Anau Waitangi Festival.
At Matatini, they will be led by Mereana Edwin, Te Ukaipo Rangihau, and Te-Hukatai Tonihi. They have been part of our Te Anau Waitangi Charitable Trust commemorations since 2018 and will be familiar faces to many in our community. Te Matatini is the pinnacle biennial event for Māori performing arts and one of the most highly anticipated events for performers and supporters from all over the motu. Let’s give them a good send-off on February 8!
Ngā Herenga Waka Kapa Haka will open and close our festival concert, so arrive at Lions Park a little before 11:00 AM.
A performance not to be missed!
Te Anau School Kapa Haka
We are super excited to welcome Te Anau School Kapa Haka to the stage for our 2025 Te Anau Waitangi Festival Concert. How wonderful to see the green shoots of kapa haka taking off among our tamariki with the support of tutors here in our community.
Ururaki
'Ururaki' will be displayed at Lions Park so people can come and have a close look. The 11-metre-long hybrid Polynesian waka hourua (double-hulled sailing waka) is part of Waka Iwi - The People's Waka project. It is to be used by Te Manawa o Titiroa Trust as a platform to teach environmental stewardship, traditional wayfinding and kaupapa Māori. Its maker, Rua Paul, will be set up with his toi whakairo (traditional carving) at the festival concert.
Hangi and kai Māori
The Otene Whānau are our amazing hangi crew. They will be late to bed and early to rise, preparing the kai and the hangi pit at Lions Park, ensuring it is ready to lift for our lunch (bring a donation!). Ngā Herenga Waka Kapa Haka will also serve up some pretty special kai Māori (Māori food), which can be purchased for $5 per serving. Be sure to pack a plate and utensils and bring your water bottles.
Note that this event is alcohol-free, and a liquor ban is in place at Lions Park.
Waka ama experience
A favourite for Te Anau Waitangi Festival! Have-a-go waka ama experience with Te Piritahi a Rua Waka Ama (from Waihōpai Invercargill) with opportunities to register a crew for races at 2 pm on Sunday. Weather dependent and times may vary. Please check or FB page for regular updates.
