More than 30,000 people are expected to descend on Waimana in the Eastern Bay of Plenty for Te Hui Ahurei o Tūhoe, with BayTrust announcing a $10,000 grant to help stage this year’s biennial kapa haka and sporting festival.

Te Manatū Ahurea o Tūhoe Charitable Trust spokeswoman Wena Harawira said the event began in the 1960s as a rugby and netball tournament to maintain kinship ties for Auckland and Wellington-based iwi members.

“One of our elders, John Rangihau, saw it as a way of combating urban drift and making sure that people stayed in touch with their Tūhoe culture and language.

He suggested adding kapa haka in the 1970s and word just spread … Tūhoe groups from all around the country set up their own kapa haka just to participate in the competition.”

With more than 51,000 people affiliating to Tūhoe in the 2023 census, 60% of who are under 30, the festival is likely to grow bigger every year.

Te Hui Ahurei o Tūhoe provides a chance to reconnect and cherish the tribe’s unique dialect and distinctive customary practices.

For example, each kapa haka team must sing the same waiata moteatea (Māori chant) to ensure all Tūhoe descendants know the chant when required at other occasions.

Harawira said 16 senior and 13 junior teams would compete in this year’s kapa haka competition, alongside hundreds of rugby and netball players on April 18-21.

A traditional Māori ball sport called kī-o-rahi will also be played.

“This year we are having it near Waimana School and some of the local farmers have given us use of their land. We’ve got a fully equipped stage with lighting, a sound system and a big LED screen.

“We also have a backdrop and branding. It costs a lot of money to stage it all and cater for all the different teams staying at local marae.”

Gate sales are kept affordable – tickets are only $10 for adults, $5 for children and free for kaumātua and under-5s – and event organisers rely heavily on sponsorship and funding from organisations such as BayTrust.

“BayTrust is like a fairy godmother. A lot of our sponsors have found it tough going in recent times, so a lot of our sponsorship has reduced. We’ve had to plan accordingly and we’re grateful for everything that we get from our sponsors.”

This year teams will travel from as far south as Wellington to compete. “This is a way of keeping traditions alive and it’s a way of encouraging people to participate who may not have strong ties back to their marae or their hapū. It’s an opportunity to learn about kapa haka, but also to come back to Tūhoe to find their families.”

BayTrust chief executive Alastair Rhodes said Te Hui Ahurei o Tūhoe was a celebration of the tribe’s strength, character and aroha for its people.

“Like Tūhoe itself, this festival has a proud history and continues to create a legacy that future generations will inherit.

“It’s heartening to see so many people come back home to the Eastern Bay of Plenty, celebrate their culture and enjoy the hospitality offered by local marae.

“BayTrust is pleased to offer this $10,000 grant to help ensure the smooth running of this iconic event.”