More than 2,500 Tainui people are to attend the opening of their tribal exhibition Tai Timu Tai Pari at the national museum Te Papa Tongarewa.
Every three years, Te Papa hosts different tribal exhibitions and this year it is Tainui's turn.
The Waikato iwi will be welcomed on to the museum's marae to install their taonga at dawn on Saturday, marking the end of the Ngai Tahu exhibition Mo Tatou.
The national museum's events manager, Mere Boynton, says Te Papa works closely with iwi to produce high-quality displays showcasing what makes each Maori tribe unique.
Tai Timu Tai Pari tells the story of the epic journey of the Tainui waka from eastern Polynesia and their history right up to the challenges the iwi faces today.
Mrs Boynton says, fortunately, the exhibition coincides with the Rugby World Cup and Te Papa is expecting more than 5,000 visitors a day to pass through during the tournament.
The exhibition is one of three Maori and Pacific displays currently running at Te Papa, the others being Oceania and Ka Mate.
