Pacific families

For many families, it's an annual tradition to travel to the islands to see their families and re-connect with their culture, and for others it is a long awaited holiday away from New Zealand.

Kaumosi Opie, aged 34, visited Tuvalu last year for the first time since she moved to New Zealand as a 9 year old.

It was at that trip where her and her sister decided they will make it a tradition to visit Tuvalu every Christmas.

"As a Mum of two young girls, seeing the number of young children dying in Samoa has been heartbreaking," said Sophia Uele of Tautua Dance, one of the organisers of the event.

She said she and her partner felt raising funds for Samoa could be one way to help, and once the call went out for performers, people generously said yes.

"The amount of love and support that they have all shown us, when this only [went] out to everyone maybe last week to see who would be free to come along - and we have about 15 acts," she said.