The Te Matatini National Committee has announced the dates of when the next national kapa haka competition will take place.
It was announced in Christchurch in March that Ngāti Kahungunu in Hawke's Bay would be the next hosts in 2017.
Te Matatini Photo: RNZ
Today, the national committee said the next event would be held from February 22 to 26.
Now the dates have been confirmed, Te Matatini chairman Selwyn Parata said the next step was to work with their hosts to arrange a venue big enough to cater for 30,000 spectators.
Te Matatini Society's Executive Director Darrin Apanui said it would take every bit of the next two years to organise it.
The last time the festival was held in the Kahungunu tribal region was in 1983.
