Victoria University of Wellington has announced that they will be one of the sponsors for Te Matatini next February.
Te Matatini is a world-class event where forty-five kapa haka teams will vie for the title of the best kapa haka in the world.
The biennial event will be held in Wellington next year from 20-24 February 2019 at Westpac Stadium.
Teams perform from Thursday to Saturday, with the finals held on Sunday.
The University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori says, “We are delighted to be a strategic partner with Te Matatini in bringing this exciting event to the capital.”
She also says it’s a great chance for people to see the best kapa haka in the country.
“it’s a major cultural event that we think Wellington people will embrace. It will be a great opportunity to manaaki thousands of performers and other visitors to our region.”
Te Matatini Chief Executive Carl Ross, says, “We are excited with the new strategic alliance that has been developed between Te Matatini and Victoria University of Wellington. We welcome the University to the increasing number of Te Matatini strategic partners who contribute to the success of our event.”
Ross says the regional economy is in for a boost as thousands will grace the capital for this event.
“We are expecting 60,000-65,000 ticket holders to attend the festival over the four days, resulting in a $19.3m contribution to the regional economy.”
Early bird ticket sales will be available from the Te Matatini website on 1 October 2018.