Award-winning singer and songwriter Theia to play ‘homecoming’ concert at her marae in Port Waikato
Celebrated Aotearoa singer and songwriter Theia (Waikato, Ngaati Tiipaa, Ngaati Aamaru) will perform a special ‘homecoming’ concert exclusively for her haukaainga in Port Waikato on Saturday, February 28.
Presented by Tainui Live and hosted at Tauranganui Marae on the banks of the Waikato River, this show is the centrepiece of Theia’s upcoming nationwide Debut Album Release Tour. Gates will open at 5pm and entry to the whaanau friendly, all-ages event will be by koha.
Theia is thrilled to be able to bring this show to her marae, as it was the home to her great nanny
Mite Karaka Kukutai, famously known as “Te Taniwha O Waikato”, and revered for her contribution to the Kiingitanga; kapa haka and writing some of Aotearoa’s most beloved compositions, including ‘Kiwi Weka’ and ‘Ngaa Moni Ika’. It was also where her late grandmother Rangirara (née Kukutai) was born and raised before moving to Ootautahi; and where Rangirara would return with her moko to attend family gatherings.
“I never got to meet my great grandmother Nanny Mite, but my kui Rangirara ensured I maintained connection to my haukaainga and to her memory. I am so proud of the legacy they both leave,” says Theia.
Tauranganui Marae trustee Tukiri Brown Marsh understands that this may be the first-ever modern-day concert held at any of the marae in Te Puuaha O Waikato.
Theia adds: “I can think of no better place than Tauranganui to mark and celebrate the release of my debut album, GIRL, IN A SAVAGE WORLD. I honour my tuupuna waahine, who continue to inspire me in all that I do.”
Theia’s debut album, GIRL, IN A SAVAGE WORLD has received widespread praise from around the globe. The album’s lead single BALDH3AD! was a finalist for ‘Single of the Year’ at the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards. The song received widespread support from student radio in Aotearoa and has been picked up by radio in North America.
Rolling Stone Australia also listed GIRL, IN A SAVAGE WORLD as #3 in their Top 50 NZ Albums of 2025 and respected NZ music critic Graham Reid described it as “one of the most important albums of the year”.
Leading US Indigenous platform Native Max said, “Theia reaffirms her place as one of the most innovative Indigenous artists on the global stage - unafraid to use her voice, her culture and her artistry to ignite change.”
Canadian podcast Relentless Indigenous Woman said. “If you’re ready to rise - for yourself, for the Land, for the collective - Theia is your call to action. Every track is an invocation, a spark for the fire that’s been waiting in you: the one that longs for justice and dreams of matriarchy”.
The three shows in Theia’s upcoming tour will be the only ones she plays while home in Aotearoa this summer. After this tour, she will return to North America for a run of shows including a headlining slot at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik – the gateway to Canada’s Western Arctic Circle. She will juggle international touring with a return to study, as she completes her Master’s Degree in Indigenous Studies.
Theia was the recipient of NZ on Air’s first-ever New Music Project Touring fund, which will be put towards covering some of the production costs of the tour.
For more information about Theia’s upcoming show at Tauranganui Marae, please contact paula@nicnakmedia.com or visit www.princesstheia.com for more information.