Toitū Te Reo, Aotearoa New Zealand’s national festival celebrating Māori language and culture, took place this week at Toitoi in Hastings with a flourish.

This year’s programme included symposiums, cultural events, and community activities that celebrated Māori arts and language and was attended by a number of high-profile language advocates, including broadcasters Mike McRoberts and Moana Maniapoto, along with musicians Dame Hinewehi Mohi and Tawaroa Kāwana. 

It was attended by an estimated 7,500 visitors, with waiata, performance and reo Māori reverberating throughout the streets of Hastings.

This year, Hastings District Council, Te Mātāwai and Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc. were among the organisations providing backing for the event.

However a key decision has been taken by event leaders to transition the festival to a charitable trust model.

Founder Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod outlined plans for the new body.

“This is a natural progression for Toitū Te Reo and a transition that needed to happen,” explains Jeremy, whose language revitalisation agency, Kauwaka, has been behind the festival for two years. “It’s been incredible to come together and uplift our first language and culture for the second year running, but behind the scenes, we’ve faced tough economic conditions and were struggling to maintain institutional support. The charitable trust structure provides a more robust foundation for the festival’s operations and helps secure its future growth. Toitū Te Reo is a celebration that belongs to the motu, and trustees are language champions from iwi all over the country.

“Realistically, we can’t continue to lean as heavily on our valued sponsors year upon year upon year. The charitable trust model allows Toitū Te Reo to access new funding streams and establish a more stable governance structure.

“After two years of hard work to establish the festival and cement its place on New Zealand’s national events calendar, it’s time to enable a more sustainable pathway, and ensure Toitū Te Reo flourishes into 2026 and beyond.”

The new trustees will be Aperahama Edwards, Karepa Wall, Pānia Papa, Dr Hana O’Regan, and Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod. Sir Tīmoti Kāretu has expressed his support for the transition and for those who have agreed to come onboard as initial trustees.