A fleet of waka hourua have opened the NZ Festival on Wellington's waterfront tonight, telling the story of the explorer Kupe.
A fleet of waka hourua opened the NZ Festival on Wellington's waterfront. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
The performance was inspired by the arrival of navigator and explorer Kupe to Aotearoa, and will feature more than 1000 kapa haka performers and a 250-strong choir.
The performers welcomed the four waka hourua that travelled from as far as Samoa to be part of the opening of the New Zealand Festival.
Twenty-thousand people gathered to watch the spectacle on a fine night in the capital.
Photo: RNZ / Ceinwen Curtis
Photo: RNZ / Ceinwen Curtis
Photo: Ceinwen Curtis