Northland's biggest festival is expected to bring a welcome multi-million-dollar boost to the Mid North economy later this month.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to head home to Kaikohe on January 25-26 for the Ngapuhi Festival - the country's largest tribe's two-day celebration of culture, kai and music in the grounds of Northland College.
The event is a chance for members of the far-flung tribe to return to their roots and reconnect with friends and whanau. The 2012 festival drew an estimated 40,000 people to Kaikohe, making it Northland's biggest gathering of the year.
Firm numbers as to the festival's economic impact are hard to come by but a Far North District Council report found the 2010 festival, which drew 30,000 people, pumped $4 million into Northland's economy.
This year's event is likely to be even bigger and includes up to 50 international indigenous artists joining 40 Maori artists in Toi Ngapuhi, an art exhibition and series of wananga held in conjunction with the festival.