ASB Polyfest

ASB Polyfest has had a challenging few years. The 2019 festival had its final day cancelled after the Christchurch mosque shootings, the 2020 festival was cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions and last year's festival took place without any crowds.

PMN News reports this year’s festival theme is “Mana Motuhake” which means creating one’s own destiny.  

Event Director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu says: “This can encompass many meanings so each stage will incorporate what Mana Motuhake means to them.  

The hoisting of flags at dawn by Maori and Pacific community leaders was especially poignant as it marks the return of the iconic Maori and Pacific schools festival after two years.

The 45-year-old festival was cancelled over the last two years due to the Christchurch shooting in 2019 and last year’s COVID 19 lockdown.

ASB Polyfest Trustee Mama Tupou Manapouri says it is just so important for our students to return to the stage and celebrate who they are.

“After the lengthy COVID 19 lockdowns we all needed to get back to some kind of normalcy and mental wellbeing.”

The festival has grown into the largest Maori & Pacific Islands Festival in the world, featuring traditional music, dance and speech from Auckland secondary school students.

It is a celebration of youth performance, and an important showcase of New Zealand’s diverse cultures.

Students compete in traditional speech, song and dance on six stages – Cook Islands, Maori, Niue, Samoan, Tongan, and the Diversity stage which features cultures such as Chinese, Fijian, Tokelau, Indian, Korean and Sri Lankan.