The World Indigenous Cancer Conference 2026 was the first edition of this global Indigenous cancer gathering to be held in Aotearoa New Zealand, hosted by Hei Āhuru Mōwai at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau, Auckland, over 21-23 April 2026. It drew nearly 700 delegates from more than 30 countries.
The World Indigenous Cancer Conference (WICC) 2026 was held at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, from 21 to 23 April 2026, marking the first time the global gathering had been hosted in Aotearoa New Zealand. According to host organisation Hei Āhuru Mōwai and delivery partner Te Rau Ora, the conference drew close to 700 delegates from more than 30 countries. The event was originally announced in August 2025 for the Energy Events Centre in Rotorua before being relocated to Auckland.
The conference was hosted by Hei Āhuru Mōwai, the Māori Cancer Leadership Network of Aotearoa, with Te Rau Ora acting as Event Delivery Partner and the World Indigenous Cancer Network as the international partner (per Te Rau Ora). The New Zealand government cancer agency Te Aho o Te Kahu (Cancer Control Agency) supported the event and has published post-conference presentations and resources. WICC is a recurring international series: the inaugural conference was held in Brisbane in 2016, followed by Calgary, Canada, in 2019 and a further edition in 2024, with Auckland 2026 bringing it to Aotearoa for the first time.
The programme was aimed at Indigenous cancer researchers, clinicians, specialists, advocates, whānau and rangatahi from Indigenous communities worldwide, with delegates registered from more than 30 countries (per Te Rau Ora). It sits in the medical and scientific conference sector, combining clinical and research content with a strong cultural and community focus.
The confirmed venue was the Due Drop Events Centre (Te Whare Tapere o Manukau) in Manukau, South Auckland — not the Energy Events Centre in Rotorua named in some early announcements and in the directory listing. Manukau is in southern Auckland, the part of the city closest to Auckland International Airport, which is the main gateway for the international delegates the conference attracted. The organisers framed the event around a dawn pōwhiri and plenary sessions at the centre (per Hei Āhuru Mōwai).
Securing a global, multi-day conference of roughly 700 delegates from 30-plus countries demonstrates Auckland's capacity to host international medical and scientific gatherings, and the choice of a South Auckland venue close to the airport illustrates how NZ business-events infrastructure can serve large inbound international audiences. As the first Aotearoa edition of a world conference series, it also underlines the role of mana whenua and Indigenous-led organisations in bringing international events to New Zealand. This event has already concluded and was held in Auckland, so the earlier Rotorua listing has been corrected in the directory.
Cited links supporting this report.
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