Pōwhiri
The welcome
The evening opens with a welcome drink and time to settle in at the Whare Waka Café, then a ceremonial challenge sets the tone before the group moves toward the meeting house.
The evening, at a glance
- What it is
- A pōwhiri welcome, a kapa haka concert in the carved meeting house Te Whare Rūnanga and a buffet hāngī dinner, paired with day admission to the Treaty Grounds
- Where
- The Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Bay of Islands — a few minutes from Paihia and about 20 minutes from Kerikeri
- How long
- The evening runs 5:30pm to 8pm; day admission is yours from opening to use beforehand
- Season
- October to April, on selected nights each week — the grounds themselves stay open year-round
The evening
The Hāngī and Concert keeps close to the same shape most nights it runs, from the welcome drink to the last plate of pudding.
- 5:15–5:30pmArrival at Whare Waka CaféA welcome drink and a few minutes to settle in before the evening's programme begins.
- After 5:30pmThe ceremonial challengeA traditional Māori challenge opens proceedings before everyone moves toward Te Whare Rūnanga.
- The concertSong, haka and storytellingA high-energy cultural performance inside the carved meeting house.
- About 7:00pmThe hāngī unveiledThe hāngī chef lifts dinner from the ground in front of the group, and the buffet opens.
- 8:00pmThe evening endsDoors close at 8pm. Transport isn't part of this booking, so plan your own way back.
Three carved posts, one evening
Te Whare Rūnanga's carved posts line the meeting house where the evening's kapa haka takes place. Most nights the Hāngī and Concert keeps the same three-part shape: a welcome, a performance, then dinner from the ground.
Kapa haka
The concert
Inside Te Whare Rūnanga, the carved meeting house opened for the Treaty's 1940 centenary, a high-energy concert of song, haka and storytelling carries the evening.
Hāngī
The dinner
At around 7pm the hāngī chef lifts the evening's dinner from the ground, and a buffet of meats, vegetables, bread, salad and steamed pudding follows.
Day admission is part of this ticket and is worth using — arrive in the mid-afternoon for the Treaty House, the museums and the waka, well before the pōwhiri begins at 5:30pm.
The day
Day admission comes with this ticket and covers the Treaty House, both museums, the carved meeting house and the ceremonial waka — worth using before the evening begins.
Why book this evening
One ticket covers the day and the evening
This is the combined pass: day admission to the Treaty House, both museums and the waka, plus the evening's pōwhiri, concert and hāngī dinner. Arriving in the afternoon rather than at 5:30pm is the difference between using the whole ticket and only half of it.
The concert happens inside a working meeting house
Te Whare Rūnanga was carved by hand and opened on 6 February 1940, exactly a century after the Treaty was first signed. It's not a replica built for tourists — it's the same carved house used for cultural performances at the Grounds every day.
The hāngī is cooked, not just plated
The dinner is lifted from the ground in front of the group at around 7pm rather than arriving pre-plated from a kitchen. Guests tend to remember that unveiling almost as clearly as the buffet meal served straight after it.
A season, not a year-round show
The Hāngī and Concert runs October to April on selected nights, tracking the Bay of Islands' warmer, longer evenings. Outside that window the day admission still stands, but the evening itself doesn't run.
Find a night for your dates
Live seat availability for the Hāngī and Concert, priced by GetYourGuide in your own currency.
The hāngī buffet
Dinner is served buffet-style once the hāngī chef lifts it from the ground, timed for around 7pm on the nights the evening runs.
What's on the buffet
Meats, vegetables, bread and salads, with a traditional steamed pudding for dessert — a full buffet spread rather than a plated set menu.
Dietary needs
Vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options are available if you flag them at least 48 hours ahead; a shared buffet still carries some cross-contamination risk for severe allergies.
What to wear
Comfortable clothing works best — the evening moves between the outdoor Whare Waka Café, the meeting house and back outside for the hāngī, and it can turn cool after dark.
The welcome drink
A drink is served on arrival at the Whare Waka Café, before the ceremonial challenge and the concert that follow.
Getting to Waitangi
From Paihia
Waitangi sits just across the river from Paihia, a few minutes by road or a short passenger-ferry crossing from the Paihia wharf.
From Kerikeri
Kerikeri is about 20 minutes' drive north. Public transport around Northland is limited, so most visitors staying there drive in.
No hotel pickup
Hotel pickup isn't part of this booking — make your own way to the Whare Waka Café for the 5:30pm start, by car or the short passenger ferry from Paihia.
Arrive by mid-afternoon
Because day admission is part of this ticket, arriving in the early-to-mid afternoon leaves time for the Treaty House, the museums and the waka before the evening gathers at 5:30pm.
The Waitangi season, month by month
| Period | Nights it runs | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| October | Tuesdays and Thursdays | The season's opening month, ahead of the busier summer schedule |
| Late October – February | Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays | The busiest stretch of the season, with a third night added each week |
| March – April | Tuesdays and Thursdays | The season's closing stretch, back to a two-night week |
| May – September | Not running | A seasonal evening only — day admission to the Grounds still runs year-round |
Planning a day and evening at Waitangi
A first-timer's guide
A day and evening at Waitangi's Hāngī and Concert, step by step
Day admission, a pōwhiri welcome, a kapa haka concert and a hāngī buffet — the order it actually runs in, and what each stage involves.
Read more → The meeting house, explainedTe Whare Rūnanga and the kapa haka concert, explained
What the carved meeting house is, when it was built, and what happens inside it during the evening's concert.
Read more → The dinner, explainedThe hāngī at Waitangi: how it's cooked, what's on the plate
What a hāngī actually is, when it's unveiled during the evening, and what's on the buffet afterwards.
Read more → Using the day ticketThe Treaty Grounds by day: what your admission covers
The Treaty House, the museums, the carved waka and the grounds themselves — what's worth seeing before the evening begins.
Read more → Practical questionsGetting to Waitangi from Paihia or Kerikeri, and timing the evening
Driving, the passenger ferry from Paihia, and why arriving in the afternoon gets you more out of the ticket.
Read more → Around the Bay of IslandsThe Bay of Islands beyond the Treaty Grounds
The Hāngī and Concert takes one day and evening. The rest of your Bay of Islands time fits around it like this.
Read more →Waitangi Hāngī and Concert questions
What actually happens during the evening?
Gates for the evening open at the Whare Waka Café around 5:15pm for a welcome drink, followed by a ceremonial challenge, a concert of song, haka and storytelling inside Te Whare Rūnanga, and a buffet hāngī dinner unveiled at around 7pm. The evening ends at 8pm.
Is day admission to the Treaty Grounds included?
Yes — this ticket pairs the evening with day admission, covering the Treaty House, Te Kōngahu Museum, Te Rau Aroha Museum, Te Whare Rūnanga and the ceremonial waka. Arrive in the afternoon to use it before the evening begins.
What is Te Whare Rūnanga?
A carved Māori meeting house on the Treaty Grounds, carved from 1934 and opened on 6 February 1940 — a century after the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed. It stands opposite the Treaty House and hosts the evening's concert.
What is a hāngī?
A traditional Māori method of cooking food in an earth oven. At this evening, the hāngī chef unveils the dinner from the ground at around 7pm, followed by a buffet of meats, vegetables, bread, salad and steamed pudding.
Which nights does it run?
The season runs October to April, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Saturdays added from late October to February. Confirm the specific date on the GetYourGuide listing before you build the rest of your evening around it.
Is hotel pickup included?
No. This booking doesn't include a transfer, so make your own way to the Whare Waka Café on the Treaty Grounds for the 5:30pm start — it's a few minutes' drive or a short passenger-ferry crossing from Paihia.
What should I wear?
Comfortable clothing. The evening moves between indoor and outdoor settings, and it can turn cool after sunset, so a light jacket is worth having.
Can dietary needs be accommodated?
Vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options are available if you flag them at least 48 hours in advance. It's a shared buffet, so guests with severe allergies should note the cross-contamination risk.
Ways to book the evening
See the Hāngī and Concert on GetYourGuide ↗ From US$114