Porirua’s Waitangi Day celebrations will feature food, music, activities and waka tours.
This year’s event at Te Rauparaha Park on Tuesday 6 February, from midday to 5pm, will be headlined on the main stage by roots reggae band House of Shem, who are sure to wow the crowd with their cool summer beats. At the helm is Carl Perkins, a former member of Herbs and The Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Other performances on the main stage include Te Kura Māori o Porirua, Tipapa Bracken, Brooke x Starce, Ben Makisi, and TJ Taotua & Ministry of Tone.
Inside Te Rauparaha Arena there’ll be lots of free activities for tamariki, and more than 30 stallholders on the park outside. At Pātaka, meanwhile, there’ll be a host of art and local history to discover.
The popular free waka tours are also returning for the day, providing the opportunity to paddle around Te-Awarua-o-Porirua harbour, thanks to Toa Waka Ama.
And if your puku is rumbling after all that excitement, there’ll be food trucks galore with lots to choose from. As well as two hangi vendors for kai, options include Middle Eastern, Cooks Islands, Polish, Cambodian, Chinese and Indian food, and also spit roasts, gourmet burgers, sweet treats and more!
As with our other large events, Waitangi Day will operate with our zero waste kaupapa – pack your keep cups for drinks, and containers for kai.
There are plenty of ways to get to Te Rauparaha Park for Waitangi Day. Walk, scoot or bike to the city centre or, if you live further out, jump on the train and make the five-minute walk around the waterfront to the action. Some free parking will be available in the city and surrounding streets, such as Wi Neera Drive and Parumoana St. There’ll also be limited accessible parking at Te Rauparaha Arena.
Our Waitangi Day celebration is an alcohol-free, smoke-free and vape-free event, and please leave your dogs at home. See you there!
Find everything you need to know on our dedicated page here.
30 Jan 2024
