Next: 4 to 13 Aug 2027
Te Maeva Nui
The Cook Islands' constitution celebrations: ten days of drumming and dancing by each island group.
When is Te Maeva Nui in 2027?
Te Maeva Nui 2027 runs from 4 to 13 August 2027. Other years: 2026, 4 to 13 August 2026; 2028, 4 to 13 August 2028.
About Te Maeva Nui
Te Maeva Nui, "the great celebration", marks the Cook Islands' self-government in 1965 and is held in Rarotonga for ten days ending on 4 August. The island groups of the Cooks, and the district, send performers to take part in competitions, with drumming, dancing, chants and singing, in which each team tells a story from its home island's history. The dances include the ura, in which women sway their hips to the beat of wooden drums, the pate, and the 'ura pa'u. A grand parade of floats in the capital Avarua, an exhibition of crafts including tivaevae, appliqué quilts, a sporting program, and a church service, are also held. Meals cooked in an earth oven, an umu, with fish, taro and breadfruit, are part of the celebrations.
Te Maeva Nui dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Te Maeva Nui date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 to 13 August 2026 |
| 2027 | 4 to 13 August 2027 |
| 2028 | 4 to 13 August 2028 |
What is eaten
- ika mata
- rukau
- umu feast
Traditions of Te Maeva Nui
Also part of it, and being written: Ura (The Cook Islands dance.), Rarotonga (The main island.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Te Maeva Nui" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Tivaevae: John Colles Burland, CC BY-SA 3.0, source