Conan O’Brien has touched down in New Zealand, and he’s causing quite a stir.
Reports first emerged last week that O’Brien was expected to visit the country in the coming days to film his Emmy-nominated travel show, Conan O’Brien Must Go. Part of that was said to include O’Brien participating in a world record haka attempt that had already been in the works in Auckland. Indeed, the former late-night host brought his talents to the event—along with a celebrity friend/native New Zealander.
Writer/director/actor Taika Waititi joined O’Brien at the Kiwi celeb-filled event. “You’re not officially in New Zealand until you’ve been welcomed by @TaikaWaititi on a rugby pitch,” O’Brien captioned photos of the pair on social media. (“Oh hell yeah,” commented O’Brien’s Norwegian rap collaborators E.D.A.)
O’Brien was photographed adorning multiple walls of Eden Park (the rugby stadium where the event was held) with his signature and cartoon self-portrait, and it seems he even got his own locker for his visit.
“This was fun. It worked out beautifully. We were going to come here to shoot a special,” O’Brien told New Zealand’s RNZ. “We got here yesterday, heard about all this. We were invited and we thought, ‘Yes!’”
He also attempted his best pukana—a contorted face that traditionally serves as an element in some haka—for the news outlet.
O’Brien added that he was touched by the experience. “To see this many people come together and be unified is such a beautiful thing… Everyone here is so filled with the spirit,” he said. “It’s moving. I wasn’t expecting to be as moved as I was.”
The world record attempt was a resounding success, with 6,531 people performing the ceremonial dance to beat the previous record of 4,028 participants held by France. For O’Brien, the event also served as a way for the host to dive headfirst into the country’s culture right at the start of his trip.
“It’s my first time here, and so to go from zero to a million like this is crazy,” he told RNZ. “To land and then suddenly be here on this pitch with all of these people and doing the haka is just amazing.”
O’Brien will presumably visit at least one of his New Zealand-based fans while there. That list of locals could include the fan who invited O’Brien to stay in the shipping container he calls home, and the woman whose small town lacks either a town square or a fight club.
O’Brien’s Max travel series, Conan O’Brien Must Go, is currently in production on its six-episode second season.
