Kāhui Whetū

Thursday 19 June

The Event

Join us at Kāhui Whetū as we celebrate the Māori New Year!

See the Gore Gardens transform as we illuminate them with a sparkling light display for Matariki. Make sure you wrap up cosy and warm, as this winter event takes full advantage of those dark, crisp and early nights.

From 5:00pm to 9:00pm, enjoy live waiata, a wide variety of delicious kai from food vendors, and treat the whānau to neon face painting, UV light art, and a range of fun, family-friendly activities.

Meaning a constellation, Kāhui Whetū refers to the stars as a gathering of the people of the land.

Entry

Entry is free and there is something for everyone

Entertainment

Emmy Rodrique and Maia Fletcher are emerging vocal talents currently completing their Bachelor of Music at SIT Polytech. Emmy brings years of performance experience and formal training, while Maia, known for her success with The Dollys, has earned national recognition in country music. Their live performance promises to be a highlight of the event — one you won’t want to miss.

Maia Fletcher

Emmy Rodrique

Flame Entertainment and Jodie Glinster will bring the Gore Gardens to life with family-friendly fun and glowing magic. From 5:30pm to 7:30pm, a luminous fairy and princess will be roaming the gardens — perfect for photos with the kids. Then from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, they’ll be joined by another fairy, shimmering moths, and a captivating fire performance that’s sure to wow the crowd.

The fire performer will light up the evening with two sets: the first from 6:20–6:40pm and the second from 7:30–7:50pm.

Fairy

Fire Performer

Step into our warm, welcoming tipi and journey through the stars with a captivating 20-minute presentation by Warren Hurley from the Dunedin Astronomical Society. Presentations are every 30 minutes starting at 6:00pm, with the final session starting at 8:00pm.
Don't miss this unique chance to learn the stories behind the stars!