(Tāmaki Makaurau, Thursday 23 July 2026) – Kōanga Festival, Aotearoa’s annual celebration of Māori performing arts, has unveiled its full programme for 2026. Returning to Te Pou Theatre for its 12th year from 10–20 September, this year’s festival brings 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 continues to share world class Indigenous performing arts in full bloom, cultivate bold ideas and nurture emerging voices, creating a space where new narratives for the stage are developed, shared and embraced. At a time when the New Zealand arts sector is facing 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.
“I’m beyond proud to be sharing this stunning array of live experiences at Kōanga this year! It is our most varied and exciting programme of Māori and Pacific stories for the stage to date.” says Amber Curreen, Artistic Director. “The sheer diversity of artists and creativity on show this year is thoroughly inspiring; from divine te reo Māori opera to soul filling Taonga pūoro, haka theatre to street dance, comedy and poetry, whānau fun and mimosas over play readings – It’s going to be an epic start to Spring, celebrating the diversity of Māori and Pacific creative excellence on the stage with something for everyone to appreciate this Kōanga.”
Opening the festival on Thursday 10 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 returns on Saturday 12 September, transforming Te Pou Theatre and Corban Estate Arts Centre into a vibrant hub of free entertainment for all ages. Featuring storytelling in our 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 13 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 is 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.
Sharing the stage across the same two evenings is Wai Tawhito, a new theatre work of Oceanic origin in development by Tūrongo Collective that invites audiences into a world that restructures itself on a natural system, an ecosystem, a symbiotic relationship of what keeps us…pre-dates us…but also makes us exist beyond the forms of time. It is a part of a series of acknowledgement stories, directed and created by Mierewai and Te Wehi Kore Karena, and channeled by Te Whānau Āio.
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. These new works, developed under the guidance of celebrated playwright Victor Rodger alongside Amber Curreen and Tainui Tukiwaho include stories of friendship, grief, Māori K-Pop and magical realms. This year’s playwrights are Poe Tiare Tararo and Roy Iro, Maioha Allen, Ellen Moana Smith, Parekawa Finlay, Reon Te Aorangi Max Rose and Huia Max Rose. These staged readings offer audiences a rare first glimpse at the future of Māori theatre and remain one of the festival’s defining experiences.
On Saturday 19 September, AROHA-HA brings together a stellar lineup of Māori comedians for a night of stand-up and unforgettable laughs. Hosted by Jthan Morgan and headlined by Kura Forrester, featuring Timprovise, Kura Turuwhenua, 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. Created in honour of Aroha Awarau, a beloved comedian and storyteller whose infectious laugh was often heard before he was seen, AROHA-HA is an invitation to gather, connect and share in the joy of laughter.
Closing the festival on Sunday 20 September, acclaimed spoken-word theatre production UPU returns to Tāmaki Makaurau for the first time in several years. Curated by Grace Iwashita Taylor and co-created with Fasitua Amosa, through the words of 23 poets, ranging from emerging voices to acclaimed literary figures starring Nathanial Lees (The Rule of Jenny Penn, Sione’s Wedding), Nicola Kāwana (Shortland Street, Jackson’s Wharf), Jarod Rāwiri (Friends Like Her, The Brokenwood Mysteries), UPU weaves a rich tapestry of stories, experiences and perspectives from First Nations peoples of the islands.
Now in its twelfth year, Kōanga Festival continues to champion the next generation of Māori storytellers while celebrating established artists across multiple disciplines. Since its inception, the festival has supported 45 new whakaari and 51 new kaituhi, cementing its place as one of Aotearoa’s leading platforms for new Māori performance.
Event Schedule:
10 September | Tākiritia! (in partnership with New Zealand Opera)
12 September | Whānau Day (Free Event)
13 September | Ihirangaranga
16 September | Grass Roots
17–18 September | I Was Born To Speak
17–18 September | Wai Tawhito
19–20 September | SCRIPTS & SIPS – Kōanga Play-readings Brunch
19 September | AROHA-HA
20 September | UPU
KŌANGA FESTIVAL
10 – 20 September 2026
Te Pou Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau
Full programme and tickets at koangafestival.nz. Tickets go on-sale at 12pm, Thursday 24 July.
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