Thousands of whānau, rangatahi and kapa are expected to fill Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae today for the Ahurea Festival.
More than a thousand people gathered for Tuesday’s pōwhiri, with 31 schools taking part in the two-day event.
Spokesperson Tepara Koti says excitement is high, with two qualifying spots up for grabs for the 2026 National Secondary Schools Kapa Haka in Tauranga Moana.
“But we’ve got new kura that we’ve never had at Ahurea before, all the way from Rodney—Rodney College, Ōtamatea, Kaipara College up in the north of Auckland. These kura have never been here before. So we’re very excited to host them, to bring them in on our papakāinga here,” says Koti.
Free buses are running from Māngere Centre Park to support community access to the event.
