Conan O'Brien, Taika Waititi among celebrities at haka record

Celebrities from Aotearoa and abroad turned out for the world haka record at Eden Park on Sunday night.

American TV host Conan O'Brien, director Taika Waititi and boxer David Tua were among those spotted as the record was set.

O'Brien was making his first visit to Aotearoa and spoke briefly to RNZ.

"We got here yesterday, heard about all this, we were invited, and thought, 'yes!'

"To see this many people come together and be unified is such a beautiful thing. Everyone here is so filled with the spirit.

"It's moving. I wasn't expecting it to be as moving as it was.

"It's my first time here, and to go from zero to a million like this."

O'Brien was seen learning and practising some haka skills and being coached by Waititi, among others.

When asked, he also showed off his pūkana for RNZ.

US celebrity Conan O'Brien shows off his pūkana at Eden Park. Photo: RNZ / Screenshot

The previous record for number of people performing a haka was 4028, held by France since 2014.

About 10,000 people took part in the Eden Park haka.

New Zealand filmmaker-actor Taika Waititi (L) and US comedian and television personality Conan O’Brien interact ahead of a world record attempt for the largest mass Haka, at Eden Park in Auckland on 29 September 2024. Photo: DJ MILLS / AFP

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