Art & creativity, Central city, Things to do  |  10 Jun 2025

Share this story

This year’s Puanga Matariki festival in central Christchurch will showcase a range of artistic lighting and cultural displays – including a revamp of a crowd favourite.

The popular 22m long tunnel installation, called Takohia mai nā e koe ko te tātai whetū, will feature a new light show designed by The Light Site and soundscape storytelling by Kommi Tamati-Elliffe me ana haumi.

Positioned on the forecourt of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, the tunnel will bring to life the story of Hine-a-tauira, described by Kommi Tamati-Elliffe as “an ancient creation story of how the living world of humans as we know it came to be.”

 “I hope the story evokes an interest to delve deeper into our local Kāi Tahu creation stories and other local narratives. We share some similar stories to North Island iwi, but also we have our own very unique versions,” Kommi says.

Kommi Tamati-Elliffe (Kāi Te Pahi, Kāti Moki, Kāti Ruahikihiki, Manutahi, Manukorihi, Ngāti Moeahu) is a recording and performance collaborator, writer and poet, and a lecturer in Māori and Indigenous Studies and Te Reo Māori.

They say the story brings a reminder to make Puanga Matariki a time of rest and reflection.

“We should rest and reflect on the past year since the last rising of Matariki and begin to plan the year ahead based on our interpretations of the whetū (stars).”

The theme of this year’s Tīrama Mai festival is kōtahitanga, or unity, which Kommi says is reflected in the collaborative approach taken on the installation.

Kommi’s 10-year-old daughter, Āio Te Uruao Tamati-Elliffe, features in the creative piece, speaking te reo Māori.

“She’s a great storyteller and a natural performer. Tau kē!” says Kommi.

Other collaborators include Keita Newbery, who leads the waiata (singing); Marlon Williams, who supports the storytelling; Chris Wethey, who arranged the music; Madison Kelly, who performed using taonga puoro (traditional Māori musical instruments); and Byllie-jean who supported on vocals.

Kommi has been touring and performing alongside Marlon Williams up and down te motu (the country) and has several projects in the pipeline, including new original music – solo projects and collaborations.

Tīrama Mai, on from 18 to 22 June, is a free festival event to mark Puanga Matariki, featuring storytelling, projections, light installations, film, music and performances. Head to What’s On for all the details.

Note: You will see that some words such as Puanga are also spoken or written about as Puaka. This is a dialectal difference whereby some Ngāi Tahu will use the ‘k’ in place of the ‘ng’, hence the reference to Kāi Tahu.

Image 1: Courtesy of Kommi Tamati-Elliffe, by Rewa Pene Photography.