Thousands expected to attend Pacific festival

Posted: Thursday Mar 21, 2024

A Dunedin festival which brings the Pacific "to people's backyards" is expected to continue its rapid growth and attract 10,000 people this year.

Thousands expected to attend Pacific festival | Otago Daily Times Online News (odt.co.nz)

The Moana Nui Festival takes place at the Forsyth Barr Stadium next Saturday.

Pacific Trust Otago chief executive Faanimo Elisara-Too said the festival gave Pacific communities a platform to "celebrate who they are".

"It's also about sharing it with our city that we love so much."

The event is an accumulation of cultural festivities from Dunedin’s Samoan, Tongan, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Fiji, Wantok, Tokelau, Papua New Guinea, Soloman Islands, Kiribati, Niue and Māori communities.

Every Pacific community, besides Niue and Tokelau, had been preparing performances for the event.

Festival co-ordinator Ma’ole Faletolu said the event gave Pacific communities the opportunity to revel in and share their unique cultures.

"We want to bring the Pacific to people's backyards.

"It's open to everybody and I'm hoping we see a diverse crowd, like we have seen before."

The first Moana Nui Festival took place in 2021 in response to Covid-19.

"Everybody felt so isolated during that time, it was just a way for us to bring Pacific people down here and also everybody else."

The festival doubled in size for 2022 with 8000 attendees and they expected it to grow to 10,000 this year.

"It's crazy the amount of growth and traction that we've had in the past few years.

"I think it comes down to a lot of people migrating towards our area and regions, but also a lot of it comes from the vision and everybody chipping in to make the vision a reality."

A significant proportion of Dunedin’s Pacific communities comprised students who moved down to study, he said.

Auckland Pacific artists Tree and Swiss would be performing at the event.

Besides food and performances, there would be cultural activities, arts and crafts, interactive services provided by local businesses, and the chance to immerse in Pacific culture.