Auckland Council’s two-week-long World of Cultures festival is happening this month, starting on 18 March and finishing 3 April.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says that even with the challenges that the omicron variant of COVID-19 presents, celebrating the cultural diversity of Tāmaki Makaurau is important and worthwhile.
“World of Cultures is an important and much-loved part of Auckland’s event calendar, celebrating the incredible diversity that makes Auckland such a vibrant and interesting place to live,” he says.
“While it’s a shame that some events, including the highly anticipated CultureFest, will not be able to go ahead because of the risks posed by omicron, I’m pleased that Aucklanders will still have an opportunity this year to safely celebrate the many peoples and cultures that call our city home.”
Auckland Council’s Events Manager David Burt says that the events team have worked closely with a number of community organisations to ensure World of Cultures still happened.
“The team has worked really hard alongside community groups, and I am really proud of the offering we have for Aucklanders, despite the challenging times.”
David admits all of bigger key events in the programme like the popular CultureFest, a one-day celebration of cultures held in Mt Roskill at the end of World of Cultures, have had to be cancelled due to capacity limits at Red.
“Omicron threw a real spanner in the works, and we have had to reduce what we can do. We have focused on delivering smaller events with numbers capped at 100 people, and some events will have multiple sessions.”
He has been amazed at the response from community groups.
“One thing that astounds me is people’s commitment to celebrate our diversity and the importance they place in it. They want to celebrate their culture and want to help other Aucklanders learn more. The groups involved are also keen on learning about other ethnicities and celebrate the diversity we have. It is really uplifting in a challenging time.”
Light show to celebrate diversity
One new and exciting way that Aucklanders can celebrate the city’s diversity is a brand new light show being delivered by Vector Lights.
Inspired by the vibrant fabric patterns of different cultures, the light show launches World of Cultures and will run for seven days from Friday 18 March through to Thursday 24 March, with Race Relations Day falling right in the middle of those dates. An accompanying audio track has been mixed by DJ Stinky Jim, featuring the work of five Auckland musicians who celebrate their culture through their music.
Te Pā Harakeke
Normally part of the one-day CultureFest, this year Te Pā Harakeke will be delivered as a standalone event, featuring entertainment, fun learning, arts, crafts, and food showcasing Te Ao Māori.
Located in Wynyard Quarter’s Silo Park, it is inspired by a village setting reminiscent of a Māori Pā. Regular sessions lasting 90 minutes will take place throughout the day on Saturday 2 April.
Pā Nui
Another event normally part of CultureFest is Pā Nui. This year the series of cultural engagements will move indoors at the Mt Roskill War Memorial Hall.
The hall will be decorated and regular 45 minute long sessions will be offered for all who wish to learn more about some of the diverse ethnicities who call Tāmaki Makaurau home. This includes the new People Meeting People initiative which provides a space for Aucklanders of all backgrounds to come together to have a conversation and create a memory.
What is World of Cultures?
Held during the last two weeks of March and linking with International Race Relations Day (21 March), World of Cultures is a great opportunity for Aucklanders to connect with, learn about and celebrate the more than 200 ethnicities that make up our diverse city.
For more information and a full list of events, head to the World of Cultures website.
