Festivalgoers at Te Matatini are going viral after they whipped out a wiri to guide other fans to their seats.
The video, posted by @itsonlyosiris, shows a group hanging out by the stairs, waiting for fans to walk past. When they do come by, they launch into a wiri to direct them in the right direction, even chucking in some intense pukanas in.
“Only at Te Matatini,” the TikTok says.
Commenters love the passion from the group getting involved in the Te Matatini spirit
“This is the best,” wrote one.
“Love it,” said another.
“Yous behaved around the kaumātua tho aye 😂,” a third added.
“Bro I was wondering what that noise was,” one more commented. “All I could hear by the stairs was blahhhhh arggghggg!”
Te Matatini is back after a four-year hiatus and with 45 teams competing over the four days, it’s been a massive event with so many awesome performances and stories.
Wairoa kapa haka group Mātangirau paid homage to their hometown, which was devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle, by covering their legs in mud from the flooding. They stole the show and delivered an “incredibly powerful and memorable performance”.
Muriwhenua o Te Tai Tokerau opened the festival on Wednesday and set the bar for the rest of the competition.
One supporter congratulated the team on their efforts at the earliest stage of the festival:
“Going first is definitely not easy and yet this ropu did a wonderful job setting a great standard for the other Kapa haka groups to reach. You could really feel the love the team have for each other and the ones who have passed on.”
The competition is streaming live on TVNZ+ now and will also be broadcast on TVNZ 2, so no matter where you are in Aotearoa you can catch a glimpse of some amazing haka.
