Following a sold-out debut, Toikupu, Toiora is returning to Mataatua Wharenui on October 30 and 31, bringing together poetry, Māori cuisine, visual art, music, floral design, jewellery and documentary filmmaking for two nights of immersive Ngāti Awa storytelling.

Curated by Ngāti Awa creative writer and poet Rangipare Ngaropo, Toikupu, Toiora is described as the world’s first iwi-inspired six-course degustation experience.

At the heart of the experience are six original poems from Ngaropo’s bilingual poetry collection, Raised by the Renaissance.

Each poem explores themes connected to Ngāti Awatanga (the local tribe in Whakatāne), Māori identity and contemporary life, with each becoming the creative inspiration for one of six courses.

The menu will be designed and delivered by 2014 MasterChef New Zealand winners Kārena and Kasey Bird, who will work alongside Ngāti Awa ringawera to translate Ngaropo’s words and Ngāti Awa narratives into a multi-sensory dining experience.

“It’s about allowing our stories to be experienced in different ways,” said Ngaropo.

“Poetry can make you feel something. Food can make you remember something. Music, art, scent, design and place can all carry stories too.

“Toikupu, Toiora brings those things together and asks what happens when we tell our stories through many creative forms at once.”

The 2026 experience will explore Māori identity, Ngāti Awatanga and te ira wahine, with guests moving through an evening of carefully curated food, performance and creative expression.

The experience will feature:

■ Six original poems

■ A bespoke six-course degustation menu

■ Māori-inspired cuisine

■ Live music and performance

■ Painting and visual art

■ Floral design

■ Jewellery

■ Documentary filmmaking

■ Contemporary Māori storytelling

■ A black-tie dining experience within Mataatua Wharenui

The kaupapa is in partnership with Ngā Āhuatanga o Te Kai, an independent kaupapa Māori research institute jointly created by Te Puna Ora o Mataatua and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.

For Ngā Āhuatanga o Te Kai, kai is understood as much more than food. It is part of a wider Māori system of knowledge, values, practices and relationships that reinforces collective identity and connection.

That philosophy sits at the heart of Toikupu, Toiora.

Ngaropo was born and raised in Ngāti Awa and said the event was also about creating opportunities for people to experience contemporary Māori excellence in their own rohe.

“Sometimes we have to leave home to experience these kinds of events. I wanted to create something here, in Whakatāne, that made our people feel like they didn’t have to leave our rohe to experience beauty, creativity and excellence.”

The event is expected to attract both local audiences and visitors from outside the region, contributing to the local hospitality, accommodation and tourism economy.

Around 200 manuhiri will have the opportunity to attend across the two nights.

The first Toikupu, Toiora event was warmly received by the community and sold out within approximately two weeks, despite minimal promotion.

This year, the team is expecting significant interest from both returning guests and people experiencing the kaupapa for the first time.

Rather than presenting Māori culture as something belonging solely to the past, Toikupu, Toiora explores what Ngāti Awatanga can look and feel like in a contemporary creative context. It is an opportunity for Māori artists, creatives, kai practitioners and storytellers to work across disciplines and demonstrate the breadth of Māori creative expression.

For Ngaropo, that is the ultimate purpose of the kaupapa.

“We know our stories are valuable. We know our people are creative.

“We know our whenua, our histories and our whakapapa are worthy of being celebrated.

“Toikupu, Toiora is about creating a space where all of that can exist together – unapologetically, beautifully and on our own terms.”

Toikupu, Toiora will be held on October 30 and 31 at Mataatua Wharenui, Whakatāne with 100 guests per event.

Tickets will be released on September 29.