Wellington to mark Waitangi Day with live, but small, ceremonies

Tuesday, 1 February 2022

Waitangi Day events usually held at Waitangi Park in Wellington have been moved online this year amid Covid-19 restrictions. Pictured: Fiona Stanley in a tino rangitiratanga Covid-19 mask. (File photo)

Wellington’s Waitangi Day commemorations are having to adapt or die, as Covid-19 restrictions make large crowds impossible.

Events will be moved online or split into smaller pockets across the city to comply with the Red Light setting.

In place of the usual event in Waitangi Park, Wellington City Council is putting on a virtual Whānau Film Night – an hour of indigenous animated short films curated by Wairoa Film Festival – streaming for free through their Facebook and Youtube pages from 6pm on Saturday.

Many events will be streamed online, including an hour of indigenous animated short films curated by Wairoa Film Festival, and an award-winning line-up of Māori performers. Pictured: Losaline Tupou of Whitireia Performing Arts performs a waiata, 2021.

A performance from Kiwi superstars Fat Freddy's Drop, pictured here at Days Bay in 2019, will be included in the online festivities this year.

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The annual waka performance will not go ahead this year, due to Covid-19 restrictions. (File photo)

On Sunday, audiences can tune in to Te Rā o Waitangi online from noon for an award-winning line-up of Māori performers and culture.

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Music festival Kotahi, normally held at Kahurangi School in Strathmore Park, will also move online, said volunteer event director Faye McNeil.

“The thought of not having a way to share and celebrate with our tamariki and community made that decision easy; we take the event online,” she said. It will be streaming from 3pm on YouTube and Facebook on Sunday.

Porirua’s Waitangi Day commemorations at Te Rauparaha Park last year.

Fat Freddy’s Drop would play at Kotahi.

“Having been sidelined from live performance, it’s great to be able to do what we love in such a great environment – in the classroom with a bunch of kids,” said band manager Nicole Duckworth.

They will be joined by local acts The Nudge, The Baker’s Three and DJ Magnette – a line-up which reflected the spirit of Kotahi, McNeil said.

Lower Hutt’s annual Te Rā o te Raukura isn’t running either. In fact, according to event organiser Corey Stickle, this year’s event never even got underway.

“In September last year, we made the call we wouldn’t run it this year,” he said.

The previous year’s event had been online, but with uncertainty around Covid-19 restrictions and their position at the heart of the Waiwhetū community meaning they had to made decisions with people’s safety in mind, they didn’t take the risk.

In Porirua, the city council would be partnering with mana whenua Ngāti Toa to deliver events, workshops and pop-ups across the city.

Covid-19 tracing will be in place during Waitangi Day, with QR codes and hand sanitiser stations at Te Rauparaha Park, Te Rauparaha Arena and Pātaka Art and Museum.

There will be a take-away hangi for sale at Te Rauparaha Park on Sunday from 5pm, and free pop-up performances in public spaces and parks by local kapa haka groups on Saturday and Sunday.

People could head down to see newly renovated carvings outside Te Rauparaha Arena all weekend, or take a free waka tour in the Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour between 11am and 3pm on Sunday.