Northland Iwi excited to host first big post-Covid music festival

Tomorrow People: It's a massive privilege for the band to be a part of history" after a two-year absence from the Aotearoa stage. Photo / Supplied

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Thousands are expected to attend the #HīkoiTo100 Music Festival in Awanui this weekend in what will be the first large-scale music festival to be held in Aotearoa since the Omicron outbreak.

Highlighting the successes of the COVID-19 vaccination response within Northland iwi Ngāti Kurī, the festival will celebrate and recognise the hard work and manaakitanga given by the people and the wider communities over the past two years.

"It has been a huge, and at times, heavy journey," says Sheridan Waitai, Ngāti Kurī Trust Board Executive Director.

"We want to celebrate this with our whānau who have pushed past their fears and got vaccinated for each other. Therefore we are now able to open these spaces to share again, this has been our hīkoi to safety."

Headline acts include Tomorrow People, 1814, Ladi6, Che-Fu and Savage, along with local acts Papa's Pack, Creative Natives and many more.

Tomorrow People band leader and lead singer Tania Tupai says "it's a massive privilege for the band to be a part of history" after their two-year absence from the Aotearoa stage. The reggae band recently returned from touring Australia, with Tupai saying "nothing compares though to performing in your own backyard" with Tupai excited to be a part of an uplifting, positive kaupapa.

Tupai described the last two years as a period of togetherness, calling the time "a silver lining" with band members becoming closer and more focussed, leading to the release of one album and one single released on the first Friday of each month during 2021. The band are incredibly excited to perform these hits live to a home audience.

Tomorrow People would like to acknowledge Ngāti Kurī for the privilege to perform in their backyard and for the short turnaround time due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The festival will take place this Saturday 21st May at the Awanui Rugby Club, with gates opening at 12pm. There will be food, tāonga, craft and clothing stalls. There is also a separate space for tamariki rangatahi under the age of 16 and another for 16+.