Waitangi Day 2025: The conversations, commemorations and celebrations taking centre stage

Each year, thousands flock to the Northland town of Paihia to commemorate, remember, and celebrate the signing of the country's founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Within the span of a few days, the small tourist town becomes a hub of activity. Politicians, iwi leaders, and whānau all arrive for the formal multi-day celebration.

Local motels are often booked out months in advance, with restaurants and cafes buzzing with business.

Waitangi Day (and the week prior) has long been a place of controversy and politics. And after a rocky year of Māori-Crown relations in 2024, culminating in the largest protest to ever arrive at Parliament, there will be no shortage of fiery moments on the paepae.

But whilst protests often dominate the headlines, in recent years the events have become much more whānau-focused with food stalls, kapa haka and beautiful waka all contributing to a festival-like atmosphere.

Here's what to expect for Waitangi 2025.

Setting the priorities for 2025

To kick off the busy week, the National Iwi Chairs Forum will convene in the Far North on 3 February, ahead of Waitangi Day on 6 February, to set its goals for the year.

Established in 2005, the Iwi Chairs Forum is a rōpu made up of about 80 elected leaders representing iwi across the motu. They meet four times annually and this will be the first hui of the year.

The discussions are often rambunctious but the last forum in August was particularly heated, when representatives from Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Manuhiri walked out of the talks in protest against the coalition government's policies. At the time, Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi o Ngāpuhi chair Mane Tahere said the government was running roughshod over Māori.

Usually government officials also attend the hui, but after what transpired, the iwi leaders officially uninvited the Crown from future forums.

That may well turn the temperature down during forum talks, and provide an opportunity for Māori to unite ahead of the arrival of government officials.

The iwi chairs have already made it clear that ACT's Treaty Principles Bill will be a priority in discussions, but it is not the only government policy they have taken issue with.

In a rare move in 2024, the iwi chairs sent an open letter to King Charles III, asking him to intervene to "ensure that the [New Zealand] government does not diminish the Crown's honour".

In that letter they referenced environmental and climate concerns, criminal justice reform, protection of rangatahi in state care, Māori health outcomes, and barriers in place preventing the revitalisation of te reo Māori.

Other topics which may come up at talks this year include the forthcoming Regulatory Standards Bill and indigenous economics, both of which have been a key focus for iwi recently.

The country's biggest iwi, Ngāpuhi, will also want to see some sort of movement from the government on advancing progress on its Treaty settlement, which has been stalled for a number of years.

The Kiingitanga will also make an appearance at Waitangi on the afternoon of 4 February when they are welcomed onto Te Whare Rūnanga in a formal pōhiri.

The Kiingitanga typically marks Waitangi Day on its own whenua, but last year the late Kiingi Tuheitia and his advisors travelled to Paihia in a showing of kōtahitanga. New monarch Kuini Nga wai hono i te po already has strong connections to the historic place as an existing member of the Waitangi National Trust Board.

A day for politics

The next day all eyes will be on the government as they arrive.

The government pōhiri is often a main event at Waitangi, as iwi leaders wait with bated breath to see how the government intends to improve things for Māori in the coming year.

The haukāinga (hosts) always put on a show for MPs, who are welcomed with a formal wero. The ope (contingent) will be escorted by Māori wardens, kaumātua and kuia onto the marae.

At Waitangi, the paepae is a place where iwi leaders are able to address MPs directly, holding them accountable for the policy decisions that are made hundreds of kilometres away in the Beehive.

The kaikōrero of the haukāinga side certainly will not hold back, ensuring their voices are heard and listened to. As it was last year, the Treaty Principles Bill is sure to be a main point of contention, with every move of ACT Party leader and soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour scrutinised.

Addressing the government might be a bit different this year, as the prime minister has opted not to attend. Late last year Christopher Luxon announced he had turned down the opportunity to join the national Waitangi events in Paihia, but has not yet revealed where he will be.

His decision was met with mixed emotions from Māori, with some calling it a missed opportunity, and others pleased. Instead, Māori-Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka will be in attendance to represent the National Party.

A time for deeper kōrero

While there are important discussions on the paepae between mana whenua and MPs, a lot of the most meaningful kōrero at Waitangi is had in the forum tent.

It's become a central part of commemorations in recent years, where panel discussions on various kaupapa take place. For many Māori, it is the most important part of the week.

From rangatahi to kaumātua, the forum tent is an all-ages event for anyone who wants to sink their teeth into some hearty kaupapa Māori.

The tent will be set up across the bridge on the lower Treaty grounds next to the waka house, with stunning views out to the Bay of Islands providing a picturesque backdrop.

The crowds often pour out of the tent, setting up camping chairs under nearby trees so they can still listen to the kōrero in the shade.

The group behind the hīkoi to Parliament in November, Toitū te Tiriti, are among those organising and coordinating discussions in the forum tent this year. A group just in its infancy at Waitangi last year, it will no doubt be keen to carry on the momentum gained from the hīkoi.

The final line-up of speakers has not been announced, but the forum tent's social media account has teased some of the names, including veteran Māori activist Tame Iti, journalist and uri nō Ngāpuhi Julian Wilcox, and Māori academic Veronica Tawhai.

The discussions will take place from 4-6 February, and will range across environmental guardianship, te reo Māori, karakia and mana motuhake.

Festivities and whānaungatanga

Waitangi Day commemorations in Paihia might look entirely political from afar, but anyone who has been to the Treaty grounds during the historic week will know that is not exactly true.

Alongside the lengthy discussions and wānanga, Waitangi commemorations in Paihia will also have their share of fun.

The week-long commemorations culminate on Waitangi Day. Despite the often hot and sticky February weather, people bundle up in jackets and blankets to travel to the upper Treaty grounds before dawn for the formal service, which starts at 5am.

Crowds of iwi leaders, dignitaries, and whānau will gather to mark 185 years since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Then as the sun rises, the formalities end and festivities commence.

More than 150 market stalls are set up on the sports field by the lower Treaty grounds, selling food from many different cultures alongside kai māori favourites, including hangī, creamed paua, fry bread, and whitebait fritters.

There are plenty of opportunities to buy iwi merch, and arts and crafts, alongside activities for tamariki including bouncy castles, train rides and inflatable slides.

Crowds will gather to watch the flotilla of waka paddle around the bay, including the world's largest ceremonial waka, Ngātokimatawhaorua, built over a century ago.

Stages dotted around the site will showcase performances from the National Youth Choir, Voice Australia Māori musician Jaedyn Randall, and others.

This year is expected to exceed 2024's record attendance, when an estimated 80,000 people travelled from across the country to Waitangi - four times bigger than previous celebrations.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.