Jacinda Ardern 'pleased' to attend Waitangi as powhiri moved to keep protesters away from her

Jacinda Ardern has confirmed she will attend next year's celebrations, but Bill English will again stay away.

A break from tradition is on its way for next year's Waitangi commemorations.

1 NEWS can confirm the powhiri will now be held on the upper marae the day before Waitangi Day, in a bid to move politicians away from protests.

Jacinda Ardern will be making her first visit this year as Prime Minister and approves of the changes.

"It sounds like arrangements have been made that everyone is satisfied with which is fantastic," Ms Ardern said.

Organisers will next February move the traditional powhiri over the bridge, and a half-kilometre up the road to the upper marae, Te Whare Runanga, to try and quell some of the protests.

Politicians are traditionally welcomed onto Te Tii, or the lower Marae, on February 5 before attending national commemorations on the national marae on the 6th.

In the past couple of years, Prime Ministers John Key and Bill English stopped going to Waitangi because of the trouble at Te Tii.

But Jacinda Ardern has confirmed she will return to Waitangi next year.

"I'm just pleased to be able to participate, that a resolution has been reached that everyone is happy with but I would go regardless," the Prime Minister said.

But not everyone is happy - the National leader won't be in attendance.

"I'm going to attend Waitangi Day elsewhere, because there was such a good response to the idea of political leaders going to other places around the country to celebrate our national day," Mr English said.

National will be represented by local and senior MPs, and Mr English says if next year celebrations are peaceful, he’ll consider returning.

"We're yet to see whether the arrangements will be successful, because in the past there's been changes made that didn't really work out," Mr English said.

Waitangi Trust board members who spoke to 1 NEWS said they are pleased the Prime Minister will be attending this year's commemorations.

They hope they will "do the country proud" and make it more of a formal celebration.

In 1998, then opposition leader Helen Clark was brought to tears on the Marae over speaking rights.

1 NEWS understands this year Ms Ardern will be able to speak on the Marae, just not during the welcome ceremony.

"I haven't seen some of the finer details of my involvement, I'm just pleased to be able to participate and to be arranging some of my own events there that will be quite community focused," Mr Ardern said.

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