EVENT DESCRIPTION

The Pasifika Festival is an annual festival dedicated to celebrating the people, food, and culture of the Pacific Islands. Usually held at Western Springs Park, the festival attracts over 100,000 visitors each year, and features peoples representing the Cook Islands, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Tahiti, Tuvalu, Hawaii, and Niue, as well as tangata whenua.   

The festival began in 1993 and has grown over the years to be one of the biggest of its kind in the world. Since 1998 the festival has adopted a village concept, with each of the Pacific nations involved populating its own team of performers, cooks, and craftspeople in a separate village on the grounds.  

As well as the stage in each village there is a large main stage for spectacular mass performances and international headline acts.  

Visitors will see artisans demonstrating their crafts and selling their wares, be introduced to wide variety of authentically prepared Pasifika foods, and get the chance to see a diverse assortment of performances of native language-singing, contemporary and traditional dance.  

The Pasifika Festival is a wonderful opportunity to witness the art and customs of the Pacific Island peoples and represents an important part of Auckland’s cultural heritage.

LIKELY DATES

The Auckland Pasifika Festival is on the 18th and 19th of March in 2023. Keep an eye on the Pasifika Festival website for future dates.   

Cultural events are listed here with basic background details. For specific events, dates, and times, please see the Featured Events on the Cultural Calendar main page.