NZCT Helps Light Up Matariki for Rotorua Whānau

New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) has awarded a grant of $25,000 to Aronui Arts Festival Charitable Trust to support the delivery of Rotorua’s Matariki Drone Festival, a free, large‑scale community event celebrating the Māori New Year and bringing whānau together to mark the rising of Matariki.

The festival attracts tens of thousands of attendees by combining mātauranga Māori and contemporary technology, using a large‑scale drone light show on the Rotorua lakefront to tell local stories in an inclusive and accessible way.

CE/Artistic Director, Cian Elyse White says, “As a not‑for‑profit event, funding like this is vital because it allows us to keep the festival free and accessible for the community. Accessibility sits at the heart of our kaupapa, so whānau of all backgrounds can come together and take part in a culturally significant celebration of Matariki.”

NZCT’s grant supports key delivery costs, including specialised technical infrastructure and production expertise required to safely present the drone show. It also helps fund a mobile studio to record sound and capture the event so it can be shared with whānau who are hard of hearing, and visually impaired.

NZCT’s General Manager of Grants, Marketing and Communications Ben Hodges says, “Matariki is a time for reflection, connection and coming together. We’re pleased to support this kaupapa and help ensure whānau can gather safely to celebrate the Māori New Year without cost being a barrier. NZCT can fund this community good thanks to the fundraising partnerships we share with Kasper’s Sports Bar and Mo’s Bar via their host responsible gaming lounges.”

This year’s festival will take place over three nights on Thursday 9th-11th July, with the drone show beginning at 8.00pm each evening at Kouramāwhitiwhiti, the Rotorua Lakefront.