Day one of Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga set a high benchmark for the week to come.

There were 14 kapa haka rōpū that performed yesterday in the first pool of the preliminary performances – called Te Ihu.

Among them were two-time Te Matatini champions Te Rōpū Manutaki, the first team to take the stage, 2023 champions Te Whānau a Apanui and Tainui favourites Te Pou o Mangatāwhiri.

Morning traffic jams meant hundreds of spectators arriving early, some lining up for two hours before the gates opened at Pukekura/Bowl of Brooklands.

Bay of Plenty rōpū Ōpotiki Mai Tawhiti gave an emotional performance – mourning the loss of many of their past members – including former leader Ricky Mitai.

High-quality haka might be the main reason people come to the festival, but there is also a marketplace with 140 stalls.

There were 14 kapa haka rōpū that performed on Tuesday in the first pool of the preliminary performances. Photo / Te Matatini

Kia Ora Hauora chief executive Cazna Luke is a stallholder and is focused on recruiting Māori into the primary health sector. She said you could feel the wairua.

“It’s really intangible, you can just feel it and it uplifts you.

“I am the biggest sook, the waiata goes into my ears and then come out my eyes.”

Owner of the Patea Hāngī shop Kushette Jelley said her Pāua Pies were so popular she had to tap into the next day’s supply just to keep up with demand.

“To feed the people, that’s what it is all about. If someone comes in and they’ve got no putea we’re just like ‘just have a feed anyway’ [because] kai is to fill people up.

“We’re talking about the vibe that’s here. It is hard to explain that, unless you’re here – its that manākitanga – everyone is whānau.”

Of the 14 groups that performed on Tuesday, only three will qualify for the finals. Photo / Te Matatini Enterprises

One of the people watching the festival on Tuesday was Finance Minister Nicola Willis.

She said she was proud to give Te Matatini a $48.7 million boost in the last Budget and was committed to keeping that funding going.

“I like to think that Te Matatini can go global, this is a unique event, already some of the people from this competition take their talent to the world stage, I reckon there’s huge capacity to build on that.”

Te Matatini CEO Carl Ross and Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Photo / Te Mataini

Willis said local businesses in Taranaki would get a huge economic boost from the festival.

Of the 14 groups that performed, only three will qualify for Saturday’s finals.