Birds, a waka and other illuminated shapes lit up Dunedin’s night sky to cap off this year’s Matariki celebrations at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The free Matariki mā Puaka celebrations organised by the Dunedin City Council ran from 3pm-9pm and featured live entertainment from performers including Te Kapa o Rukutia, Ngahau Tene, Tough Guy, Dubious Groove and headliner Tiki Taane.
It was Alex Delpech and Alice Balluais’ first visit to the stadium yesterday.The finale was a drone light show lasting about 10 minutes that began at 8.45pm.
It was angled towards the stadium and there were viewing areas at the University Oval.
There were meant to be two drone shows last night, but an earlier display at 6pm was canned at the last minute due to technical difficulties.
Some attendees expressed disappointment about the 6pm cancellation, saying the earlier show was one of the main reasons they attended and their children would not be able to stay up for the later display.
The pair were in Dunedin on a working holiday visa from France.
‘‘Because we’re French, and we’re travelling, we came to learn more about Māori culture, Māori food, Māori music also,’’ Alice said.
They were surprised by the size of the stadium and had enjoyed the different food options on offer.
The free celebrations were held at Logan Park in previous years, but were moved inside this year after heavy rain left the original site unsafe and unsuitable for large crowds.
— Allied Media
