The National Mask and Warwagira Festival

This event pays homage to the Tolai, Baining, and Pomio tribes of Papua New Guinea's East New Britain area. The celebration is an explosion of dancing, ritual performance, and story-telling in the seaside village of Kokopo every July, celebrating their interesting mask traditions. Traditional Tolai shell money is exchanged at the Ralum showground, and Baining fire dancers come from their mountain villages to perform, marching through flames while wearing large masks. The Pomio and Sulka people, who travel hundreds of miles to attend the festival, also perform rare masked dance performances.

Aside from East New Britain's incredible terrain of lush jungles, volcanoes, and crystal clear waterways, there are hundreds of diverse cultural groups that have formed in virtual isolation from one another. At the Mask Festival, some of these ensembles will come together in a show of rhythm and color.

When: in July

Where: East New Britain