Performers on the Fiji stage at the Pasifika Festival, at Mt Smart Stadium, last year. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Performers on the Fiji stage at the Pasifika Festival, at Mt Smart Stadium, last year. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
One of Auckland's most well-known events - the Pasifika Festival - is set to get a revamp after this year's festival had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
The annual Pasifika would have celebrated a huge milestone last month; having been a key fixture of Auckland's event calendar forthe last 30 years.
Instead of the big 30th birthday bash at its traditional home at Western Springs, however, the Taste of Pasifika Festival has been born and will see a mix of Pacific culture, food, fashion, arts and crafts shown off at a number of new locations around the city.
Just like the traditional Pasifika, the new event - run by Auckland Unlimited - will highlight the tastes and sounds of up to 10 Pacific Island nations.
Taste of Pasifika will officially be launched at the first of three events at The Cloud, in downtown Auckland, on Friday, June 3, and will run over that Queen's Birthday long weekend.
It then heads to South Auckland, at the Vodafone Events Centre, on June 11 before moving to the Auckland Zoo on June 18.
The Pasifika Festival is usually held at Western Springs Park in Auckland and attracts thousands of people each year. This is a Pasifika crowd in 2017. Photo / Dean Purcell
The last part of the new festival will be held at Mt Smart Stadium on June 12 and 19; when what has been described as a suite of unique events will take place - including the Hot Hula, Sunday Soul Sessions and the Big Step Up.
The public will be able to get a closer look at the full programme next month.
The latter will be led by former professional boxer and now life coach and trainer Dave Letele, who is more widely known as The Brown Buttabean.
Auckland Unlimited director of arts, entertainment and events Richard Clarke acknowledged that after the original event had to be canned due to Covid-19, organisers still wanted to put something on that still paid tribute to Pasifika in a way that suited the current environment.
"The desire from the Pacific community for the event to proceed in some form was also strong and has been a keen driver in the remaining of the much-loved festival in a safe and generous embrace of culture and celebration."
This year's new-look Pasifika is not the first time the festival has had to be changed over the years.
In recent times, it has been called off due to the Christchurch mosque attacks in 2019, postponed because of ongoing Covid outbreaks and subsequent restrictions and also moved out of Western Springs because of a fruit fly invasion in Grey Lynn.
