Kia mau is a call to hold fast. Kia Mau is about us all.

Kia Mau Festival is at the forefront of contemporary Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous art in Aotearoa and beyond. We are innovators—pushing boundaries, redefining forms, and forging new paths with creative risk-taking at every step.

Right here, right now, we bring together local, national, and international artists in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. We find the intersection where our stories intertwine, creating an experience that is uniquely ‘local’ yet unparalleled in Pōneke throughout the year.

Celebrating 10 years in 2025 and now in our eighth iteration, Kia Mau takes place from 30 May to 14 June 2025. Its founders, leading Aotearoa creatives Hone Kouka (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Raukawa, Kai Tahu) and Mīria George (Ngāti Kearoa, Ngāti Tuara, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Kūki ‘Āirani), have begun sharing the first works of the 2025 festival programme.

With every Kia Mau Festival, we strive to create a welcoming space for everyone to be seen, felt and heard. This year, we can’t wait to bring together our communities in a vibrant celebration of emerging voices, new art and Indigenous joy.

HONE KOUKAArtistic Director & Chief Executive

Through the darkness of te marama o Whiro, Kia Mau releases our first programme offering. Whiro is where each lunar cycle begins anew and so too do we – whispering our dreams into being.

This first offering while small in number is BIG on impact. Two shows under our He Ngaru Nui programming pou – a dedicated space for works of scale, bringing impactful shows to the mainstages of Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

He Ngaru Nui – Mainstage Presentations – A place for shows that aren’t afraid of making waves and having an even bigger impact. A dedicated space for works of scale, bringing impactful shows to the mainstages of Te Whanganui-a-Tara. These are not just performances; they are events that elevate Indigenous stories to new heights.

The magnitude of these shows will start small, ripples in the water that will swell and rise up when Kia Mau Festival 2025 arrives in Te Upoko-o-te-ika-a-Māui.

In 2024 Kia Mau Festival took the much needed step forward with its innovative new initiative, He Toi Puaki. This commissioning program marks a significant evolution in our commitment to nurturing indigenous voices and fostering homegrown talent amongst our arts whānau here in Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui.

He Toi Puaki embodies the essence of its name by serving as a platform for emerging artists to blossom from seeds of creativity into fully realised productions. This commissioning opportunity, is set to redefine the landscape of indigenous performance art in Aotearoa.

At its core, He Toi Puaki seeks to provide selected artists with the essential resources and support needed to cultivate their artistic visions into compelling stage productions. Through initial commissioning, linking up the right people, and vital funding assistance, the program aims to empower artists to transform their raw concepts into stage ready new New Zealand works.

The festival Kia Mau and programmes – like He Toi Puaki – were gifted their names by tō mātou rangatira Hone Hurihanganui (Tūhourangi – Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngati Whakaue, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tāmanuhiri), an artist, composer, musician as well as celebrated leader across te ao Māori, education, health and human resource management.

In our current climate, that Kia Mau is taking place in 2025 excites me. In many ways, the festival programme will be a medicine for the world – vital, vibrant, necessary, Kia Mau has continued to thrive because of the imagination and commitment of our artists. And of us to them.

MĪRIA GEORGEExecutive Director

Originally known as Ahi Kā, an annual celebration of Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana and Indigenous arts, Kia Mau was first held in 2015. Hone and Mīria decided to make it a biennial celebration because its exponential growth meant it was too big for them to programme every year.

“And we wanted to keep doing what we do, being artists,” they say.

Kia Mau Festival offers a truly unique experience, led by Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous voices at every level—from our leadership to our artists and audiences. Unlike any other festival, we are not just a platform for presentations; we are a hub for kōrero and whanaungatanga.

Our festival serves as a whare where Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous artists and their communities are supported throughout the creation, development, and staging of their works. By providing a nurturing environment, we empower individual artists, strengthen their capabilities, and enrich the arts sector, celebrating the diversity and talent of Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous artists.

With our deep understanding of the arts sector and strong relationships with artists from emerging talents to established figures, we identify those at pivotal moments in their careers or with significant projects. By including them in the Kia Mau Festival programme, we support them in taking strategic steps forward. This approach has allowed Kia Mau Festival to make a substantial impact on numerous artists and, consequently, shape the contemporary arts landscape.

Returning to Te Upoko-o-te-ika-a-Māui, Aotearoa New Zealand from 30 May – 14 June 2025.

Nau mai, haramai! Nau mai, hoki mai ki te hui ahurei o Kia Mau!