Waitangi Day speech template (New Zealand)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
Waitangi Day, on 6 February, marks the first signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, in 1840 at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands. The treaty was signed by representatives of the British Crown and many Māori rangatira, or chiefs, and is regarded as New Zealand's founding document. It is a national public holiday. Commemorations take place at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and around the country, with ceremonies, cultural performances, family days and discussion of the treaty's meaning today.
- Date
- February 6
- Next dates
- Saturday 6 February 2027
Sunday 6 February 2028
Tuesday 6 February 2029 - Country
- New Zealand
- Tone
- Reflective
- Typical events
- Community festivals and family days, marae and civic events, school assemblies before the holiday, workplace gatherings and New Zealand embassy receptions abroad.
- Length
- 188 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The Waitangi Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 4 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- TĒNĀ KOUTOU KATOA1 / 4
Tēnā koutou katoa, and welcome. I'm {Your name}, and on behalf of {Organisation}, thank you for joining us at {Venue} for Waitangi Day. Today we reflect on the agreement at the heart of this country's story, and on the relationships it asks us to keep building. - WHAT HAPPENED AT WAITANGI2 / 4
On 6 February 1840, representatives of the British Crown and Māori rangatira signed the Treaty of Waitangi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands. Over the following months, copies travelled around the country to gather more signatures. The treaty was written in English and in te reo Māori, and its meaning is still discussed today. - A PERFORMANCE3 / 4
We are honoured to welcome {Kapa haka group or performers}, who will perform for us now.
[KAPA HAKA PERFORMANCE]
Ngā mihi nui – thank you. Please stand for our national anthem, sung first in te reo Māori and then in English.
[NATIONAL ANTHEM] - KIA ORA KOUTOU4 / 4
Thank you, please be seated. Waitangi Day means different things to different people, and that is part of why it matters. Please stay, enjoy the kai, and take the chance both to talk and to listen. Kia ora koutou, and thank you for being here.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- Waitangi Day is a day of celebration for some and of protest or reflection for others. Keep the script factual and inclusive, and avoid taking sides in current debates about the treaty.
- Ask local iwi or a Māori adviser whether a mihi whakatau or pōwhiri is appropriate for your event and who should lead it, rather than improvising tikanga.
- Practise te reo Māori greetings and place names with a fluent speaker, paying attention to vowel sounds and macrons. Correct pronunciation is a sign of respect.
- When 6 February falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the public holiday moves to the following Monday. Check this year's date before planning a workplace event.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: Waitangi Day. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
More New Zealand speech templates
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