TikToker Courtnee Amorangi and her wife Maria headed to Coldplay's show at Eden Park along with 50,000 others on Satuday night, totally unaware they'd soon be opening for the legendary band.
Posting to TikTok, Courtnee told the tale of being unexpectedly pulled from the crowd to take to the stage and rep te reo Māori, all at the last minute.
While they were in line to enter the stadium for night three of the 'Music of the Spheres' tour, a staff member approached them, asking if they spoke te reo Māori.
With an excited “āe”, the wāhine unknowingly agreed to a massive gig - introducing the band in te reo.
They were upgraded to VIP and “felt like celebrities” as they were escorted to the front of the stage before anyone else.
“I have shaky legs and hands,” Maria said, as their hearts pounded while they waited to go backstage.
The pair were handed a script and had just 20 minutes to learn it before it was go time.
After the opening act and haka performance, the wāhine received a lovely pep talk before stepping onstage in front of a packed-out Eden Park.
“Thank you for including Māori in your shows,” Courtnee told a staff member.
“It’s very important,” they replied.
Then the moment arrived. Courtnee and Maria hyped up the band in te reo Māori, welcoming them onstage for an unforgettable show.
Kiwis flooded the comments of Courtnee’s TikTok with messages of love and praise for how they handled the last-minute gig.
“You got chosen on the night!? Wow. You both did so well,” one person commented.
Another said: “For having 20 minutes to prepare, you both were amazing!”
“Well done, ladies! It was such an amazing night, and I loved how Coldplay had everything in te reo, making it a true Aotearoa show,” added a third.
We love seeing te reo Māori celebrated on any stage, but this one - pulled off with almost no notice - has to be one of the best!
