Rotorua is gearing up to host the first Tuhoe festival in the city in 47 years with up to 15,000 people expected to converge on the city this Easter weekend.
Te Hui Ahurei a Tuhoe is a celebration of the staunchly proud iwi based in Te Urewera.
It will officially start on Friday when Ngati Whakaue welcomes competitors to the Rotorua International Stadium.
While the festival is about bringing together Tuhoe people from all over New Zealand and parts of Australia, there's a fiercely competitive element to it, with each team vying for the overall crown.
The main drawcard is kapa haka, with junior teams competing on Friday and senior teams on Saturday - a total of about 600 performers.
In 1971 the games moved to Rotorua's Mataatua Marae, which was the only Tuhoe marae built outside Te Urewera at the time. This was the first "Tuhoe Festival" and consisted of three kapa haka groups, Tuhoe ki Poneke (Wellington) Te Tira Hou (Auckland) and Te Whitu Tekau (Kawerau).
In 1973, the festival returned to Tuhoe's tribal homeland at Ruatoki and had remained in the area, including in Waimana and Ruatahuna, ever since.
More Tuhoe teams have joined over the years from Ruatoki, Tawera, Taneatua, Ruatahuna, Waikaremoana, Waimana, Waiohau, Rotorua, Kawerau, Waikato, Hawkes Bay, East Coast and Australia.
Governance committee, Te Manatu Ahurea a Tuhoe, awarded the hosting rights this year to Rotorua-based group Mataatua.
The festival is held every two years and the 2016 overall winner was Ruatoki.
Daily tickets can be bought through Ticketmaster costing $20 for adults, $15 for children aged 5 to 14 and $10 for kaumatua. Children under 5 are free. On Sunday night tickets for the final concert are $10 for adults and $5 for children.
Programme highlights Thursday 10am: Golf competition at Te Teko Golf Club Friday 7am-8.30am: Ngati Whakaue welcome at Rotorua International Stadium Friday 9am-3.25pm: Nga Kapa Haka a Nga Tamariki - junior kapa haka, Rotorua International Stadium Friday 3.30pm: Junior touch, Westbrook rugby fields Saturday 8am-6.25pm: Nga Kapa Haka A Nga Pakeke - senior kapa haka, Rotorua International Stadium Saturday 7.30pm: Talent quest and Battle of the Bands, Rotorua International Stadium Sunday 8am-3.30pm: Tuhoe netball, Rotorua Netball Courts, Malfroy Rd. Sunday 7pm: Prizegiving, Rotorua International Stadium Sunday 8pm-10pm: Taiohi Taiea, family show featuring Tuhoe youth aged 5 to 14, performances by Battle of the Bands winners, Harvest and Maimoa, Rotorua International Stadium
Senior kapa haka programme, Rotorua International Stadium, Saturday 8am: Mataatua 8.25am: Mataatua Hinetai 9am: Ruatoki 9.35am: Te Tahu o Haokitaha 10.10am: Tawera 10.42: Wa Whakata 11.10am: Ohinemataroa 11.45am: Oruakorau 12.20pm: Ruatahuna 12.55pm: Mataatua ki Rotorua 1.30pm Te Hono a Te Kiore 2.05pm: Tina 3pm: Ngati Haka-Patuheuheu 3.35pm: Taiarahia 4.10pm: Tuhoe ki Poneke 4.45pm: Te Tirahou 5.20pm: Waimana Kaaku 5.55pm: Tuhoe ki Kawerau 6.25pm Kua Mutu