The Māori cultural performance
About 30 minutes of waiata, poi, stick games and haka at Whakarewarewa, with the meaning of each explained and a host to show you in. The village tour is not included.
What is the haka?
What is the haka, and where can you see one in Rotorua?
The haka is a group of Māori dances with chanted or shouted words. It welcomes guests, honours people and marks occasions, and in the past it also readied warriors for battle, so it is not only a war dance. In Rotorua you can watch a daytime performance at Whakarewarewa, a village where Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao families live among the geothermal pools. The ticket here covers about 30 minutes of waiata, poi, stick games and haka, with the meaning of each explained.
What it is
A live performance by people of the village, in the place where they live, with the songs and dances explained so that you know what each one is for. It is short, it is held in the daytime, and a host shows you in after check-in.
What it is not
It is not an evening hāngī dinner, and it does not include the village tour, which is a separate ticket. The haka is also not something to join in with: you watch, and the performers lead.
Before you book
Dates with places left are on the calendar, each with its start time. Numbers at each performance are limited, so pick a date early in a busy week, and allow time to check in at reception.
- The performance
- About 30 minutes of waiata, poi, stick games and haka.
- The haka
- Not only a war dance: it also welcomes guests and honours ancestors.
- The ground
- Some 500 hot pools, and seven geysers still active.
- The people
- Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao families live in the village.
What the performance draws on
What a Whakarewarewa performance draws on
Kapa haka, the Māori performing arts, brings several kinds of item together. The performance here is described as waiata, haka, poi and stick games, with the meaning of each explained. This is what each one is.
The performers choose the items and the running order on the day, so treat this as a guide to the kinds of item and not a programme.
- 01Arrive
Check in, then your host shows you in
You check in at reception, and a host then shows you in to the performance area. The village limits the numbers at each performance, which is why the booking calendar is the place to pick a date.
- 02Call
A call of welcome
Karanga, the art of calling, is one of the features Te Ara lists for kapa haka, and it resembles customs carried out on a marae. Whether a performance opens with one, and how, is for the performers to decide.
- 03Songs
Waiata, the songs
Waiata are sung to tunes or chants, and Te Ara calls them a central element of kapa haka. They carry the feelings of a person or group, record events and pass knowledge down within Māori communities. The performers explain what the songs are about.
- 04Poi
Poi, the swinging balls
A poi is a ball on the end of a cord, swung by the performer to complement the song. Te Ara calls poi a genre of music exclusive to New Zealand Māori, and notes that it is now largely performed to European melodies.
- 05Sticks
Tī rākau, the stick games
Tī rākau are stick games, and the village lists them beside haka and poi among the items of its performance. The performers explain the meaning of the items as they go, and that includes the stick games.
- 06Haka
The haka
Performers stand in rows, stamp, slap their bodies and call out in unison. Te Ara notes that pūkana, the widened eyes, and whētero, the extended tongue, belong to the art. Which haka you see is for the performers to choose.
- 07Meaning
The meaning, explained
The performers explain the meaning of each item as they go. That is what turns a short set into something you can follow: you know what is being welcomed, remembered or honoured.
Three ways to spend a visit
Three ways to spend a visit
OptionWhat it addsWho it suits
The performance only (this ticket) About 30 minutes of waiata, poi, stick games and haka, with a host to show you in. Visitors short of time, families, and anyone who wants the haka explained without a long visit.
The performance and the guided village tour A guided walk through the village as a separate booking, lasting about an hour. Visitors who want to see how families live among the pools as well as watch the performance.
A geothermal park day such as Wai-O-Tapu A separate ticket for a large geothermal park south of Rotorua. Visitors who mainly want pools and geysers and can give a half day to them.
From booking to your seat
From booking to your seat
Five steps, from the calendar to the performance area. Your confirmation has the exact details for your date.
- 1 Book
Choose a date
Pick from the open dates in the calendar below. This ticket covers the performance only. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead and the booking is refunded when you book through GetYourGuide.
- 2 Confirm
Keep your confirmation to hand
Your confirmation shows the start time and how to check in. Arrive early enough to check in without hurrying, as numbers at each performance are limited.
- 3 Travel
Head for 17 Tryon Street
The village is at 17 Tryon Street, Whakarewarewa, in Rotorua. Enter the address in a maps app, or give it to your taxi driver.
- 4 Check in
Reception, then your host
Check in at reception. A host then shows you in to the performance.
- 5 After
The rest of the village is a separate ticket
The performance lasts about 30 minutes. The guided village tour and the other activities are sold separately, so decide before you go whether you want them.
What the ticket is
What the ticket settles
Eight points worth settling before you pick a date.
- Ticket
- Entry to the cultural performance at Whakarewarewa – The Living Māori Village, with a host to show you in.
- Not included
- The village tour and the other activities. The village sells them separately.
- Length
- About 30 minutes.
- Time of day
- A daytime performance in the village. It is not an evening hāngī dinner.
- Access
- Wheelchair accessible.
- Address
- 17 Tryon Street, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua.
- The village
- The home of Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people, owned and operated by local residents by its own account.
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours ahead when you book through GetYourGuide. The village's own terms differ, so follow the booking page for this ticket.
The village and its ground
Steam, houses and a welcome
Photographs of Whakarewarewa village and its geothermal ground, plus one haka of welcome from elsewhere in New Zealand, marked as such. None is a photograph of this performance.
Around Whakarewarewa and Rotorua
The performance, the village tour and two geothermal parks
The first card is the performance this site covers. The second is the guided tour of the village, a separate booking. The last two are geothermal parks that need a half day of their own.
The Whakarewarewa village guided tour
A guided walk through the village where the performance is held, booked separately from the performance and lasting about an hour.
Wai-O-Tapu geothermal park
An entry ticket to a large geothermal park south of Rotorua, with its own pools and geysers. It needs a half day and its own transport.
Hell's Gate walk and mud spa
A guided geothermal walk with a mud spa afterwards, on the other side of Rotorua from Whakarewarewa. Plan about three hours.
Other ways to spend a day in Rotorua
Practical notes
The address, the ground and the manners
01
Finding the village
The village is at 17 Tryon Street, Whakarewarewa. Te Ara says the settlement is reached over a bridge across the Puarenga Stream, and that its memorial gateway honours Māori who served in the two world wars.
02
How long to allow
The performance lasts about 30 minutes. Add time to check in and to walk to the performance area. The guided tour is its own booking, so allow for it separately if you add it.
03
The ground
Whakarewarewa has more than 500 hot springs, by Te Ara's count. The village asks every visitor to follow the public safety rules and to keep to the marked walkways at all times, so keep children close.
04
Photographs and respect
The village is a home as well as a place to visit. Follow your host's instructions about photographs, and ask a host or performer if you are unsure. Watch the haka rather than copying it.
05
Who it suits
Families, couples, solo visitors and groups who want a short, easy introduction to Māori performing arts. It does not suit anyone who wants a meal, an evening show or a long programme.
06
Pairing it
Wai-O-Tapu is a separate geothermal park about 27 km south of Rotorua, so it needs its own ticket and its own transport. It suits a half day of its own.
More reading
Six guides to the performance and the village
- Start here
What is the haka? Where to see it
What the haka is, why it is not only a war dance, where to watch one in Rotorua, and what the 30-minute Whakarewarewa performance includes. Read the guide → - Compare
Performance or village tour?
Whakarewarewa's 30-minute performance or the guided village tour: what each ticket covers, how long to allow and which suits your visit. Read the guide →
FAQ
What visitors ask first
What is the haka?
A group of Māori dances performed with chanted or shouted words. It welcomes guests, honours people and marks occasions, and some haka were war dances, but Te Ara says plainly that haka is not only a war dance.
How long is the performance?
About 30 minutes. The guided village tour and the village's other activities are separate tickets.
Is this an evening show with a hāngī dinner?
No. It is a short daytime performance in the village, with no meal. The ticket covers the performance and a host to show you in.
Does the ticket include the village tour?
No. The tour is a separate booking, listed as the second card in the booking section. The village's own site says it admits visitors to the village with a guide.
Which haka will I see?
That is for the performers to decide, and the items can change. Ka Mate is the best known abroad, but there are many haka, and performers choose what suits the day.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the performance is wheelchair accessible. If you need to know about ground, seating or steps, ask the village before you go.
Can I take photographs?
Follow your host's instructions on the day, and ask a host or performer if you are unsure. The village is a home as well as a visitor attraction.
What does free cancellation cover?
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead when you book through GetYourGuide. The village's own booking terms differ, so follow the terms on the booking page.
Thirty minutes of waiata, poi, stick games and haka, in a village where families still live.
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