Waitangi Day: record crowds expected amid tensions over Māori policy in New Zealand

Event in February that commemorates signing of New Zealand's founding document expected to draw tens of thousands but PM will not attend

Organisers of New Zealand's national day commemorating the signing of the country's founding treaty between Mori tribes and the British crown are expecting record attendance in 2025, following a year of rising tensions over the government's policy direction for Mori.

In February, tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on Waitangi, in New Zealand's Northland region, to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, which was signed by Mori chiefs and the British Crown in 1840 and is instrumental in upholding Mori rights.