Haka lights add special touch to festival
Wellington City Council has put a spin on this week’s kapa haka festival by installing special pedestrian crossing lights.
In honour of the Te Matatini kapa haka festival at the Westpac Trust Stadium the council has installed “haka lanterns” at seven locations across the city.
The lanterns see the iconic walking image at pedestrian crossings changed to a wahine and a warrior demonstrating a haka.
“The hosting of Te Matatini — the pinnacle event for Ma¯ori performing arts — is a proud moment for Wellington, and the haka lanterns reflect the critical role mana whenua and tangata whenua play in our city,” Wellington Mayor Justin Lester said.
“The vision was to have these installed as a piki mai ki Po¯ neke — a welcome to Wellington. With help from the NZ Transport Agency, we have been able to get them up in time for Te Matatini, so thousands of festival-goers can enjoy them.”
The Te Matatini kapa haka festival kicked off yesterday with a po¯ whiri at Waitangi Park. About 60,000 people are expected to visit the capital during the four-day festival. It is the first time since 1998 that the festival has visited Wellington.
Held every two years, it is one of the most highly anticipated events for performers, their wha¯nau and the mass of passionate kapa haka fans throughout the world.
Forty-six teams are representing 13 regions within New Zealand and Australia.