Matariki rises in mid-winter, bringing with it the dawn of the Māori New Year. Literally translated as the 'eyes of god' (mata ariki) or 'little eyes' (mata riki), traditionally the brighter the star cluster, the more plentiful the coming season's harvest.
In recent years Matariki has been more widely celebrated, with more on offer as each year passes. The Matariki Festival is the perfect mid-winter festival to light up the city - throw off those blankets and go and explore the vast array of events on offer.
Mara TK and Tola Newbery perform The Prophet, a journey through Māori history, from uptopian visions to dystopian realities.
If you've never been to a show at The Basement before you may as well start things off on a high note, although in saying that, we're not sure The Basement knows any other notes. Theatre, movement and of course, live music, expect a night of beautiful surrealism.