Palate – 346 Victoria Street
Celebrate Matariki 2026 with a Lunch on Sunday 12th of July featuring NZ Winter Truffles.
3 Course Lunch $95 per person
12pm -3pm
12th July 2026
Eat Burger – 346 Victoria Street
Celebrate Matariki with some good kai
This month, get your fried bread (He Paraaoa Parai) fix with our Roast Poaka Burger - juicy pork and watercress, with caramelised apple & kawakawa, and crunchy crackling, all encased in our house-made fried bread.
If you're after something sweet, grab a side of Fried Bread, served with maple syrup and butter. Yum!
Mr. Pickles – 298 Victoria Street
Mr. Pickles Bar & Eatery invite guests to observe Matariki with us, with a special menu curated to showcase our time-honoured favourites of kai Māori - spanning renditions of kai kōhua (boilup), kina, kōwhitiwhiti (watercress), pūrini mamaoa (steamed pudding) and of course parāoa parai (frybread)! From the 7th-11th of July.
Confinement 6 Sapper Moore-Jones Place
Locals Day 25% Off
10 – 12 July
Make the most of Matariki Weekend with Locals Day at Confinement! This weekend only, do any of our escape rooms and save 25%
Don't miss out and book your spot now!
Hamilton Central Library - Te Koopuu Maania o Kirikiriroa
Matariki Stars T-shirt Printing
6 July | 3.30pm – 5.30pm
Come along to the Auaha Makerspace at Central Library and print Matariki stars on your favourite dark-coloured t-shirt or hoodie!
BYO clothing item to print on. Cotton and natural fibres and dark colours work the best.
Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery
Matariki at the Museum
Looking for a fun and creative way to keep tamariki engaged? Join us for our Matariki School Holiday Programme, featuring two unique hands-on experiences inspired by nature, culture and creativity.
Week One – Eel-y Good Fun!
6th & 8th July | 9am–3pm
Ages 8–14
$55 per child, per day
Discover the fascinating life of freshwater eels through science, art and play, then create your own unique soft-sculpture tuna.
Week Two – Taonga Puuoro
13th, 15th & 17th July 2026 | 9am–3pm
Ages 8–18
$55 per child, per day
Immerse tamariki in music with a hands-on introduction to taonga puuoro and discover the sounds of traditional Maaori instruments.
Limited spaces available! Register online or at our front desk.
GLOtron – Centre Place, 501 Victoria Street
Bonus Holiday Fun: The Matariki Star Hunt!
The official national theme for Matariki 2026 is
"Matariki Herenga Waka – For Everyone"
In the spirit of coming together and celebrating the Māori New Year, your holiday visit includes an interactive, month-long adventure
The Glow-in-the-Dark Star Hunt: Play and have fun holding a glow in the dark star while you go on a star hunt throughout the experience! Can you spot all the hidden stars?
Meet Your Favourites: Take photos with your favourite MATARIKI star character from Matariki Glow Show! A perfect, glowing holiday keepsake.
Immersive Storytelling: Walk through a multi-sensory maze where local myths, stunning lights, and whimsy come together to teach the whole family about te kāhui whetū o Matariki.
Matariki at Te Paataka
6 – 16 July
Hamilton Central Library – 9 Garden Place
Come along to Te Paataka, the new interactive art installation that weaves together Maaori narratives, the natural environment, and the role of libraries as a storehouse of knowledge.
Sign up for one of the 18 workshops or just pop in and enjoy the vibe.
Ash and Aperture
An exhibition by Dave Austin and Mark Hamilton
Opening 8 July | 4.30pm
Exhibition 9 July – 14 August
Ramp Gallery, Wintec Hamilton City Campus
This exhibition brings together the photographer Mark Hamilton with the ceramicist Dave Austin to celebrate friendship and collaboration at Matariki. Dave’s work is drawn from the elements, whenua, ahi, wai. For this project Dave is collaborating with his long-time friend, Mark, to use photography to show how these large-scale pieces relate to the body and naturre.
Maanawatia a Matariki: Storytime Concert - Te Whare Taonga o Waikato
11 July | 11am
Entry by koha
Orchestras Central presents a special children’s story time concert for Matariki ki Waikato Festival.
Gather your Tamariki or mokopuna and let the music carry you. Maanawatia a Matariki weaves the ancient voices of taonga puoro with soaring strings to tell a breathtaking Maaori story of creation and celebrate the joyful songs of the birds who fill our skies.
Learn more about Matariki, the Maaori new year, and the different instruments that make up a a string quartet in a fascinating and compelling programme of music.
Featuring Kulios, Koroheke Robb, and Sebastian Lowe.
Whiti - Zeal Hamilton Youth Centre
11 July | 6.30-8pm
Whiti returns in 2026 as an open community talent showcase, providing a platform for rangatahi to step into the spotlight and share their talents with the wider community. As part of Matariki ki Waikato 2026, Whiti invites young people to come prepared with a performance and take the stage in a supportive, welcoming, and family friendly environment.
Whiti Zeal Hamilton Youth Centre Friends, whānau, schools, and community members are encouraged to attend and support the performers, creating an atmosphere of encouragement, celebration, and belonging. Whether it is waiata, dance, spoken word, poetry, music, cultural performance, comedy, storytelling, or something uniquely their own, Whiti celebrates the creativity, confidence, and diversity of rangatahi across Waikato. More than a showcase, this event is an opportunity for rangatahi to build confidence, express themselves, connect with others, and gain experience performing in front of a live audience.
Friends, whānau, schools, and community members are encouraged to attend and support the performers, creating an atmosphere of encouragement, celebration, and belonging. Whether it is waiata, dance, spoken word, poetry, music, cultural performance, comedy, storytelling, or something uniquely their own, Whiti celebrates the creativity, confidence, and diversity of rangatahi across Waikato. More than a showcase, this event is an opportunity for rangatahi to build confidence, express themselves, connect with others, and gain experience performing in front of a live audience. Performance opportunities are limited, with a set number of showcase slots available on the night. Participants must register in advance and will be allocated a maximum performance time. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first served basis and may close once all performance spaces have been filled.
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