The Pasifika Festival

The Pasifika Festival has been held in Auckland, New Zealand's largest Pacific Island population, since 1995. Thousands of people flock to Western Springs to celebrate the performing arts of Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Kiribati, Fiji, and the Cook Islands. In addition to traditional dance and music, the festival includes contemporary art forms such as hip hop.

The Pasifika Festival is an annual Pacific Islands-themed event held in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand. Since 1993, it has been the world's largest festival of its kind, attracting over 200,000 visitors each year. The festival features traditional cuisine and performances from Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Tahiti, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Tangata Whenua (New Zealand Mori).

Roy Vaughan, a South Pacific Forum secretary, was the festival's original driving force. His idea to create an event to celebrate South Pacific cultures came to fruition in February 1991, when he presented it to several high-ranking officials from South Pacific nations, including Cook Islands Consul General Bill Te Ariki, Papua New Guinea Consul General Alister Martin, and others. The festival was originally scheduled to take place in Central Auckland. A week and a half before the event, the newly formed South Pacific Island Nation Development Agency gathered community feedback and changed the location to Western Springs; Western Springs was supported by the mayor, Les Mills, and the City Council.

Date: March

Location: Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand