Hundreds of drones painting stories across the night sky in a mesmerising blend of light, sound, and narration by Māori artists will return to the Rotorua Lake Front for the second year in a row.
Matariki is the Māori name for the star cluster also known as the Pleiades. It's a group of stars that are physically close to each other in space, rather than just appearing close from our perspective on Earth. In Western astronomy, it's known as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters.
For Māori, the rising of Matariki in the winter sky signals the start of the Māori New Year, a time for celebration, reflection, and planning.
The ARONUI performance is set to begin at 8pm on Friday, June 20 and honours those who have passed in the last year since the rising and setting of Matariki.
“It’s more than a show — it’s a spiritual moment,” says Mataia Keepa, the Rotorua-based tohunga reo on the creative team. “It’s a time to reflect, to grieve, and to remember together under one sky.”
Keepa, a kaihaka [performer], Māori language and Matariki expert was one of the key artists involved in creating the show. He says events like this make Māori knowledge easily accessible:
“It’s important to make mātauranga Māori consumable and appealing, that’s what the drone show does. It makes a spectacle of Māori knowledge that reminds us all of the existence of Māori and how important mātauranga Māori is to the world.”
Last year, Aronui’s drone show attracted over 30,000 people, combining cutting-edge technology with ancient knowledge in a world-first tribute to the Māori New Year. Aronui Chief Executive and Artistic Director Cian Elyse White says the positive response from the community inspired a bolder return.
“The energy last year was electric- there was such a positive vibe in the city, with people travelling from across the motu [country] to see the show.
"Matariki holds deep meaning for Māori, and it’s wonderful to see the new year being embraced by the wider community”.
This year, tohunga reo/ taonga puoro artist Dr. Anaha Hiini joins the team, crafting a live soundscape using traditional Māori instruments to accompany the visual storytelling alongside taonga puoro artist Riki Bennett.
For the first time, the entire performance- narrative and music- will be broadcast live on Te Arawa FM, expanding its reach across the region.
“Arts are a rongoā (a medicine) that connects all peoples. With what’s happening around the world right now, we need art as an avenue to express ourselves, to tell our stories, in our own backyard, on our terms.
"Art gives voice to the silenced, it protests quietly and profoundly, and brings inspiration in times of hopelessness,” White said.
Matariki holds deep significance for the Māori community, but the now-established public holiday is for everyone that lives in or has a connection to Aotearoa.
It's a time to honour those who have passed by releasing their spirits to join the stars in the sky. It's also a moment for reflection, gratitude to the gods for the harvest, and sharing the season's bounty with loved ones.
This year, drones would make new shapes to capture these elements of Matariki. Last year's show included depictions of Te Waka o Rangi releasing spirits into the heavens, and environmental symbols like pōhutukawa and puawānanga flowers, blue moki, and the koekoeā, also known as the Pacific long-tailed cuckoo.
During the 2024 Tompkins Wake Rotorua Business Awards, Aronui Drone Show won the Mountain Jade award for Creative Arts and Design. The festival's centerpiece was also a finalist in Scion's Innovation and Technology category.