Marcellin College's Samoan team. The two dates they’re holding up are significant periods in Samoan history: Black Saturday 1929 and the year of the Spanish flu pandemic. Photo: RNZ / Mabel Muller
This week, the Manukau Sports Bowl will come alive with the electric energy and sounds of the ASB Polyfest, the world's largest Polynesian cultural festival.
It's the event's 50th anniversary.
Over four days, from 2-5 April, more than 60 schools and thousands of performers will unite to celebrate an array of Polynesian cultures.
The event highlights the vibrant talent and energy of youth, featuring a diverse array of performances that celebrate traditional music, dance, costume, and cultural speech competitions.
Performances will take place across six stages - including a Māori, Niuean, Cook Islands, Samoan, Tongan, and Diversity stage - and will bring their own rhythm, colour, and spirit as the iconic event kicks off.
Photo: ASB Polyfest
A longstanding legacy
The first Polyfest took place on 20 October 1976, hosted by Hillary College - now Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate - based in Otara, Auckland. A mere four groups, six schools and 40 performers made up its initial inception.
The festival has consistently fostered a powerful sense of community, uniting both participants and attendees in their shared cultural celebration.
The inception of a Diversity stage opened the event to embrace even more cultures, including performances from Chinese, Indian, Colombian and Filipino groups, to name a few.
For months, families and kaiako devote their time to supporting their children, handcrafting stage outfits, attending after-school practices, and giving their all to ensure the most special and memorable performances.
During the early days, a variety of schools played host to the Polyfest, before the festival found its permanent home at the Manukau Sports Bowl in Auckland.
Today, Polyfest reigns as the world's largest Polynesian cultural festival, amassing diverse crowds year-on-year.
For their 50th celebrations, the festival will rein in a record-breaking 77 schools, alongside 291 different performance groups.
Photo: ASB Polyfest
Polyfest Director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu said that it was outstanding and humbling to see how far Polyfest has come.
"This year is our 50th year, from the small and humble beginnings in 1976, when it was held at Hillary College. There were four schools, including Aorere College, Seddon College (now Western Springs College) and Māngere College - who took out the first festival," she said.
Photo: ASB Polyfest
Covid-19 and funding
While Polyfest is expected to draw pre-Covid crowd numbers this year, Leo-Mauu emphasised the festival's focus remains on culture and expression rather than attendance numbers.
"It's about showcasing culture on stage, and allowing the kids to express who they are," she said.
Before the pandemic, the festival regularly attracted upwards of 100,000 attendees.
Over recent years, disruptions - such as the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings and the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown - led to cancellations. In 2022, the festival was held virtually, with no live audience.
ASB Polyfest director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu Photo: RNZ Pacific / Coco Lance
However the undeniable camaraderie of the Polyfest stage and festival has made the event a one-of-a-kind spectacle of culture, passion, and talent.
"For the 50th, everybody is so excited. It has been challenging - we know there is value in this festival, and that's shown through the five generations of people and families that continue coming through," Leo-Mauu said.
She added that despite government funding cuts, organisers remain committed to the future of the ASB Polyfest.
"We have had to go some non-traditional ways to get the funding. Something I didn't want to do was monetise the livestream, but we had to," she said.
"It's gold, the content we have to offer…and we wanted to make sure we run it at the quality, and with the energy it deserves.
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"Even if we didn't get enough money to run it at the Manukau Sports Bowl, we probably would have returned it back to the schools where it originally started."
Photo: Marika Khabazi
Avondale College students performing at Polyfest 2022. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
The 50th anniversary theme, 'Legacy - A treasure handed down', reflects the festival's lasting impact on Māori and Pacific communities in Aotearoa.
Leo-Mauu hopes the theme sparks meaningful conversations within families.
"Legacy and treasure - we're encouraging young people to talk to their parents and grandparents. They hold the history and mana of what Polyfest meant to them, and their stories help fuel the energy and legacy that continues today."
Photo: ASB Polyfest
Preparing for Polyfest
For those heading along to Polyfest, plan ahead.
This year, the flag-raising ceremony - conducted by Tainui kaumatua, stage representatives, Kura Matua host schools and other Mana Kura Host schools for respective stages - will take place on Tuesday, a day before celebrations begin on 2 April, as per ASB Polyfest.
As per reports by PMN, tickets can be purchased online for NZ$7.50 or on-site for $10. Children under five years old are free.
You can watch live streams of the six stages online.
The Manukau Sports Bowl (1 Boundary Road, Manukau) is within walking distance of both Manukau train station and the bus terminal.
On-site parking is limited, with a $5 fee (cash only) and accessible spaces available. Vehicle access is via Boundary Road. Arrive early to secure parking.
Commemorative 50th-anniversary merchandise, including hoodies, bucket hats, and t-shirts, will be available on-site and online.
Food stalls will offer a mix of traditional and modern Pacific Island cuisine.
Seiuli recommends bringing sunscreen and water, with water stations on-site to keep everyone hydrated.
