Don't miss: Melanesian Arts Festival

Wapan dancers at the Melanesian Arts Festival in New Caledonia. Photo / New Caledonia Tourism

September 12-24, New Caledonia

Over a thousand participants from New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu gather at 10 locations throughout New Caledonia to showcase Melanesia's vibrant arts and culture.

The festival combines traditional and contemporary elements, presenting concerts, dance, modern theatre and traditional performances alongside visual arts such as weaving, painting, cinema and video art.

Handicraft and traditional knowledge presentations cover fashion, food, games, traditional medicine, and hunting and fishing techniques, and there's also a series of workshops and forums.

A feature will be four outrigger canoes that travel the entire length of New Caledonia during the course of the festival.

See newcaledonia.co.nz for more information.