Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua o Aotearoa 2016 (the National Secondary Schools Kapa Haka Competition) is taking place from 25 to 29 July.
39 teams will take to the stage during this year’s festival, which is being hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu.
The festival starts today with a pōwhiri at the venue, the Pettigrew Green Arena in Taradale, Napier.
The teams will compete in 3 pools between Tuesday and Thursday. There will be 13 teams in each pool and each team will perform for 30 minutes each.
The top 3 in each pool will compete in the finals on Friday with the winners being announced from 4.30pm.
More than 6,000 people are expected to attend each day of the event, including performers, spectators, judges, volunteers and others.
As well as supporting the development of Māori language skills, kapa haka has many other benefits for young people. It provides leadership opportunities and promotes tikanga Māori, history and more.
The Ministry of Education is a major sponsor of Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua o Aotearoa 2016 and will have regional staff at the event to engage with parents, whānau and young people.
The next national competition will be held in Manawatu in 2018.