The New Zealand Dance Company: Matariki for Tamariki

Bring along your tamariki and celebrate Matariki with this amazing FREE performance Matariki for Tamariki from The New Zealand Dance Company (NZDC) at Auckland Museum. Settle in under the tanoa in Te Ao Mārama, our South Atrium, for Matariki for Tamariki, a whānau-friendly work in celebration of ritual and renewal. Accomplished New Zealand dancer and choreographer, 2023 Arts Laureate Sean MacDonald (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Raukawa) brings to life a group of friends who journey throughout Aotearoa during the Matariki season – an annual custom that honours ongoing relationships to place and each other. Join this band of players as they discover the landscape of lush ngahere (forests), mighty maunga (mountains), and majestic moana (oceans), while encountering flora and fauna through the seasonal change. long the way, the wairua (spirit) of each of the nine whetū (stars) of Matariki also inhabit the performers, who through their adventures use the power and meaning of karakia (prayer), waiata (song) and whakapapa (lineage) to reflect and plant the seeds of new beginnings generating fun and hope for the future ahead. Sean’s majestic choreography in Matariki for Tamariki paired with evocative costume and set design by Rona Ngahuia Osborne and spectacular sound design by Alistair Deverick, will leave kids and “kidults” alike filled with joy and gratitude for the whenua (land) we call home. Show duration is approximately 45 minutes. Image credits John McDermott

Dates & Times

• Friday, 10 July 2026

  11:00 – 11:45 (Pacific/Auckland)

• Friday, 10 July 2026

  13:00 – 13:45 (Pacific/Auckland)

• Saturday, 11 July 2026

  11:00 – 11:45 (Pacific/Auckland)

• Saturday, 11 July 2026

  13:00 – 13:45 (Pacific/Auckland)

• Sunday, 12 July 2026

  11:00 – 11:45 (Pacific/Auckland)

• Sunday, 12 July 2026

  13:00 – 13:45 (Pacific/Auckland)