Acclaimed Ruawaipu and Ngati Porou drummer-composer Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa is the 2026 Wellington Jazz Festival commissioned artist. A defining force in Te Whanganui-a-Tara's music community for two decades, he has brought his distinctive voice to stages and studios across Aotearoa and beyond. Created especially for the Festival, Te Ao Kohatu draws on the striking claim that while the iwi of Te Tairawhiti arrived on many waka, some also descend from the stones themselves. The work explores contested whakapapa, cosmogony, and the space between Maori and Pakeha constructions of knowledge, (pre-)history and identity. All Tickets are Mobile Ticket Only. Mobile Tickets are like Print-at-Home tickets but instead of having to print off the tickets yourself, you can just show the barcode on your mobile phone. It is the easiest way to access tickets to your events. For more information visit Ticketmaster.co.nz/mobileticket.