2027.07.23 — 2027.08.04 · Coming soon

A whole country stops to celebrate.

Te Maeva Nui 2027

Te Maeva Nui is the Cook Islands’ national celebration of self-government, two weeks a year that the tourism office calls the best time to see the country as it sees itself. Teams from almost every island travel to Rarotonga to compete in drumming, chant, choir and ’ura (dance), after months of rehearsal and in hand-made costumes of rito and coconut fronds; it is not staged for visitors, but visitors are welcome. The 2027 celebration runs from 23 July to 4 August, marking 62 years of self-government, with the theme Te Ūki Tūpaupau Tūatau – Te Ora ia o taku Matakeinanga, “The Rising Generation – The Life of My Tribe”, putting young people at the centre. Expect nightly island performances, food stalls and craft markets, with Constitution Day on 4 August as the emotional peak. The Taunga Tutara Awards for cultural knowledge holders open the festival on 22 July.