This year, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) is heading to your town! 

Under the theme Ake, Ake, Ake – A Forever Language, the 2026 focus is Te Reo Towns - a celebration of the communities who have kept te reo Māori alive, and an invitation for all of Aotearoa to help it flourish into the future. 

From homes where Māori has always been spoken, to communities beginning their reo journey, every town, street, workplace and marae has a role to play in the future of te reo Māori. Big city or small town, te reo Māori is for everyone.

A nationwide invitation  

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission) and Te Mātāwai are inviting towns and cities across the motu to boost te reo Māori so it is heard, seen and lived during Te Wiki and beyond. 

Te Reo Towns is about recognising the many communities already leading the way, while encouraging others to take the next step. It celebrates the kura, sports clubs, businesses, marae, whānau and communities who have woven te reo into daily life for generations. 

Take up this invitation to celebrate te reo in your own way. Being a ‘Te Reo Town’ is about participation and sharing a love for te reo Māori. Every consistent action, whether big or small, creates lasting change.  

We’ll celebrate communities already leading the way including official bilingual towns like Kerikeri, Ōtaki, Rotorua and Te Wairoa, where te reo Māori is part of everyday life. 

Each day of Te Wiki has a theme e.g. ‘te reo and whānau’, ‘te reo in business’, ‘te reo in sport’... So come on Aotearoa – kick start your Te Reo Town now!  

This is about building a future where te reo Māori is normal, visible, and valued everywhere. Make your town a ‘Te Reo Town’  

The future of te reo Māori lives in our hearts, homes and hapori. So, make your ‘Te Reo Town’ unique to your community.  

Run a launch day parade, paint a heitiki mural, enjoy kapa haka, install bilingual signage, greet customers in Māori, use kupu Māori in the playground, share local stories and histories, celebrate the reo traditions already strong in your community or bring te reo Māori into your sports club and libraries - the possibilities are endless! 

Whether your town is reclaiming te reo, growing it, or has carried it proudly for generations, every community has something to contribute to a forever language. 

Reomaori.co.nz is jam-packed full of resources and ideas to get you started. Kia kaha te reo Māori!