No fireworks for Matariki this year

There will be no fireworks on Matariki in Wellington, to align with public sentiment and national guidance about the celebrations.

City councillor Tamatha Paul said fireworks ‘‘just don’t fit nicely’’ with Matariki and it was good to see them dropped.

‘‘It’s a reflective time and that exists in tension with fireworks – they’re loud, destructive, they cause anxiety for people and wildlife, they cause pollution.’’

Matariki is the Mā ori New Year and marks the time when the constellation also known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters rises in the sky. It coincides with the rising of Puanga, or Rigel from the Orion constellation, which is acknowledged by mana whenua Te Ā ti Awa.

The celebrations were about the constellation rising in the sky, and fireworks distracted from the stars, Paul said.

Although celebrations won’t include fireworks there will be performances and projections along the waterfront to celebrate the mid-winter Māori new year.

Mayor Tory Whanau invited everyone to celebrate the rising of Matariki and Puanga as a ‘‘time to reflect on our loved ones who have passed, and to prepare for the New Year, as we enter the colder months’’.

Free whā nau-friendly events along the waterfront will be run by the Wellington City Council from July 13 to July 16. There will be food on offer and an immersive walk-through with large projections, fire and performances.

Mana Moana Pō neke, a series of indigenous short films about the ocean, will be projected on the water of Whairepo Lagoon.

At 8pm each night there will be ceremonies to honour those who have passed, where people can write down their wishes and thoughts which will be burnt in a fire brazier and sent to the stars.