Epic bid to reclaim Haka World Record

This September, the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust has one request for Aotearoa. It wants 10,000 Kiwis to gather at Auckland’s Eden Park, aiming to reclaim the official Guinness World Records title for the largest haka.

And top agencies and creatives are donating their skills to help make it happen.

The organisers are calling for 10,000 participants to buy a ticket for charity and reclaim the official world record that was set by 4,028 people in France in 2014.

“Haka is far more than just an event,” says Dame Hinewehi Mohi DNZM (Ngāti Kahungunu/Ngāi Tūhoe), and co-founder of the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre charity.

“It is a powerful statement of our cultural heritage and a unique symbol of Aotearoa.”

To help bring the record back to where it belongs, New Zealand’s leading agencies and creatives have joined forces to promote and stage the occasion, each donating its time and skills.

The spectacle set for 29 September 202 at Eden Park, will be produced by Mike Mizrahi, Creative Director at Inside Out Productions, whose international resume includes the 2011 Rugby World Cup opening ceremony and a Louis Vuitton trunk holding 2000 people.

“I have staged many epic events all over the world, this one will be unmissable,” says Mizrahi. The event will kick off with live performances from local music icons and is a fully inclusive family event.

Central to the campaign is the “Haka” identity, designed by Tyrone Ohia (Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāi Te Rangi), Creative Director and Founder of design studio Extended Whānau.

A chance to come together

“Haka is a chance for us to come together as a nation to celebrate our culture, our identity and our connection to each other,” says Ohia.

“The power of the haka is known globally, and it is time for us to show the world how proud we are of this taonga.” 

Publicity partner for the event, Pead, has been a proud supporter of Raukatauri Music Therapy for more than 20 years, says agency founder Deborah Pead.

“And it’s wonderful to see this idea come to life with the generous support of Aotearoa’s top agencies and creatives working together. The kaupapa that this team has created is a proud nation-building moment and it feels right for the industry to follow the call to action and stand together to bring this record home.”

Leon Kirkbeck, Founder Augusto Group, said Corner Store has a deep appreciation for haka.

“Having been close partners with New Zealand Rugby and the All Blacks for many years, we have proudly celebrated the mana it represents for Aotearoa and its people all over the world. And as a flagship showcase for our new event brand, Ballyhoo, we recognised this opportunity to reclaim a special part of Māoridom and New Zealand culture and we knew we’d do what we needed to. We are delighted to be supporting this kaupapa,” says Kirkbeck.

This new attempt to reclaim the official record will be officially adjudicated by Guinness World Records, with 10,000 tickets available to perform our best-known haka Ka Mate, composed by Te Rauparaha, chief of Ngāti Toa Rangatira. 

The record attempt is part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust, named after Dame Hinewehi’s daughter Hineraukatauri.

The funds raised will enable the trust to continue delivering life-changing music therapy to the most vulnerable among us.

To register as a participant for this historic event at Eden Park, visit: hakarecord.co.nz.

For more information on Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust and to find out how to donate, see rmtc.org.nz.

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