Reclaiming Death: A Call for Conversations, Compassion, Community, and Change

Dying Matters Week Aotearoa New Zealand, September 1–7, 2025

Dying Matters Week Aotearoa returns from September 1–7, inviting all New Zealanders to join open conversations about death, dying, caring and grieving.
Dying Matters Week is an annual, nationwide event, with activities planned across New Zealand aiming to support community conversations about death and dying, and remind us all that death is normal, natural, and inevitable.

This year more than 250 events are being held in 11 regions and 26 towns and cities across the motu, supported by local practitioners, community groups, hospices and businesses. Talks will cover assisted dying, legal matters around death, caring for carers, end-of-life planning, natural burials, funeral budgeting and much more. Other events include poetry and art exhibitions, theatre and film screenings, craft workshops, Death Cafes, podcasts and online panels.

In a society increasingly disconnected from the dying process, this week shines a light on the urgent need to restore dignity, agency, and community to the end-of-life experience. With New Zealand facing a Silver Tsunami—a rapidly ageing population and a projected 49.7% increase in annual deaths by 2043—there is an urgent need for individuals, whānau and communities to reclaim this last stage of life, starting with gentle conversations and planning.

Our current health system is under increasing strain, and hospice services, which provide compassionate, community-based care, are at risk. With demand for hospice care projected to grow by 53%, and an annual funding shortfall expected to reach $196 million by 2043, the sustainability of free hospice care is in jeopardy.

Grassroots initiatives, like the Compassionate Communities movement, are empowering individuals to reclaim the dying process, encouraging families and communities who are willing and able to care for their own. Groups around the country are helping to restore death literacy and community connection, leading to a groundswell of activities such as Death Cafes, Death Without Debt, Coffin Clubs, DIY Funerals and NODA (No One Dies Alone) as well as the rise of the End of Life Doula profession.

Dying Matters Week is being led by Go With Grace, with the support of regional coordinators and sponsors and our national partners, Hospice New Zealand, The Eldernet Group, and End of Life Doula Alliance Aotearoa (ELDAA).

For event details visit: Welcome to Dying Matters Week Aotearoa New Zealand.