PĀNUI PĀPĀHO
21 o ĀPERIRA / 21 April 2026
ANZAC 2026 – MĀIA I TE KOTAHITANGA
– ON WHAKAATA MĀORI & MĀORI+
This Anzac Day, Whakaata Māori invites Aotearoa to pause in remembrance and reflection to honour the service and sacrifice of our servicemen and women and their whānau.
Live coverage begins at 5.45AM with the Dawn Service from the Auckland War Memorial Museum in Tāmaki Makaurau on Saturday 25 April on Whakaata Māori and MĀORI+.
The theme of this year’s commemorations is Māia i te Kotahitanga – Courage through Unity, recognising the collective strength forged through shared sacrifice and remembrance.
Guiding viewers through the morning will be the multi-award-winning Moana Maniapoto (Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa).
A focus this year is D Company of the 28th Māori Battalion, colloquially known as Ngāti Walkabout because of the broad recruiting area they were drawn from – the lower North Island, Te Waipounamu, Rēkohu (the Chatham Islands) and the Pacific Islands.
Although coming from many iwi and regions, D Company fought as one, earning a reputation for courage and resilience across campaigns in Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy. Their story is one of unity in action, a powerful embodiment of this year’s theme.
The special Anzac broadcast includes expert commentary, historical context and moving features, as well as crossing live to Gallipoli commemorations in Turkey, reinforcing the enduring connection between Aotearoa and the place where so many lives were lost.
Following the Dawn Service, are a collection of reflective stories that extend the themes of remembrance and legacy. These stories centre on people and whānau, exploring service and sacrifice. Together, they reinforce the guiding theme of Māia i te Kotahitanga, highlighting courage expressed not only in wartime, but in the enduring bonds of unity that follow.
Whakaata Māori offers an NZSL-supported broadcast. The Dawn Service coverage is sponsored by Triton Hearing.
ANZAC DAY VIEWING HIGHLIGHTS
(NOTE: PROGRAMMES CAN BE STREAMED ANY TIME ON MĀORI+)
5.45AM: ANZAC 2026: Auckland Dawn Services – Live coverage of the Anzac Day Dawn Service. This year from the dawn service at the Auckland War Memorial Museum
8.00AM: DEVILS ON HORSES – PREMIERE: Set against the brutal backdrop of the Sinai-Palestine campaigns in WWI, this powerful story reveals the unbreakable bond between soldiers and their horses. Note: Programme repeats at 6.30PM.
9:30AM: NGĀTI WALKABOUT – THE STORY OF D COMPANY 28 MĀORI BATTALION –
PREMIERE: The story of Edward Te Whiti ‘Tiwi’ Love, of D Company, who served in Greece and Crete and during one stage of the 1942 Libyan campaign.
11:30AM: ONE LIFE – PREMIERE: Anthony Hopkins stars in the uplifting true story of British humanitarian Nicholas Winton, who helped rescue hundreds of children from Nazi-occupied Europe on the eve of World War II.
1:30PM: PARADISE SOLDIERS – Reveals the sacrifices, the personal stories, and celebrates the contribution of Cook Island soldiers to the New Zealand armed forces from World War I through Vietnam and to present day. (R)
2:30PM: ANZAC DAY GALLIPOLI SERVICE 2026 – Live from Anzac Cove in Gallipoli.
4:00PM: SPITFIRE – PREMIERE: Traces the legendary Supermarine Spitfire — from its origin and design to its pivotal role in the Battle of Britain and beyond. Narrated by Charles Dance and enriched with rare archival footage and interviews with surviving pilots.
8.00PM: WHEN WE GO TO WAR – Chronicles a New Zealand family at the outbreak of WWI, from optimism to despair as war’s toll mounts. It follows their experiences from the home-front to the battlefields of Gallipoli and Egypt. (R)
9.00PM: MIDWAY – PREMIERE: Dramatisation of the Battle of Midway, a turning point in the Pacific during WWII.
ENDS
About MĀORI+: MĀORI+ is the digital gateway to te ao Māori – a free streaming app that brings together the best in Māori storytelling, language, news, haka and entertainment. Designed with whānau in mind, the platform is easy to navigate, available across devices, and constantly updated with fresh content. Download the app from Google Play or the Apple store. Watch online at www.maoriplus.co.nz
About Whakaata Māori: Whakaata Māori is Aotearoa New Zealand’s national indigenous media organisation, dedicated to revitalising and empowering te reo Māori, culture, and identity through storytelling. Guided by the vision, kia mauriora te reo – a future where te reo Māori is spoken everywhere, every day – Whakaata Māori fosters an environment where the language and its cultural heritage can thrive.
Established in 2004, Whakaata Māori has delivered some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most cherished content, connecting audiences with stories that celebrate and uplift te reo Māori and Māori culture.
Māori Television trades under its reo Māori name to better reflect the role it plays in revitalising te reo Māori, our culture, and sharing our stories across multiple platforms. Whakaata means ‘to mirror’, ‘to reflect’ or ‘to display.’ https://whakaatamaori.co.nz