Te Wairua O Matariki

Celebration of Matariki- signifying the beginning of Māori New Year.

Dargaville is in celebration mode with the arrival of Matariki, a significant time in the New Zealand cultural calendar marking the beginning of Māori New Year.

Each year the Matariki cluster of stars - known to astronomers as Pleiades or the Seven Sisters - rises in New Zealand skies. Believed to have formed more than 100 million years ago the cluster plays a pivotal role in modern and ancient Māori mythology.

A range of musicial performances, cultural and art activities, history, culture and fire show that embodies the spirit of Matariki.