The Whau Pasifika Festival is set to light up West Auckland once again with vibrant culture, music and unity from 6-13 July 2024.
The festival, which receives funding from Whau Local Board, has been running since 2016 and will have over 200 artists, performers, workshop hosts and stallholders taking part.
Highlights
Whau Local Board Chair, Kay Thomas says she is looking forward to the festival.
“This festival is one of the highlights on the calendar for us,” she says. “We have supported it from day one and are so proud to see how it has grown into an incredible display of talent and culture.
“It weaves together the best of our Pasifika community and showcases it in a way that is both welcoming and inspiring. We encourage you all to get along and support and enjoy this fantastic festival.”
Ina Patisolo, Director of the Whau Pasifika Festival, shares her enthusiasm for this year’s event: “We’re thrilled to bring together people from all walks of life to celebrate our rich heritage and collective resilience", she says.
"The Whau Pasifika Festival embodies community spirit and Pacific pride. “It’s more than an event; it’s a testament to the enduring spirit of our people.”
This year’s festival includes a groundbreaking Play Along, Sing Along event, where Sistema Aotearoa lends its expertise to create West Auckland’s first pop-up community orchestra and choir.
This initiative highlights the festival’s theme, “E Lē Tū Fa’amauga se Tagata”. The festival has permission to use the late Fa’anana Efeso Collins’ translation of this well-known Samoan proverb, “no one stands alone, no one succeeds alone and (for him) no one suffers alone."
It embodies the theme by working with as many Pasifika doers as possible, some events respond to grief and loss, and in the spirit of standing together for collective success, there is also a fundraising space (buckets and a donation taualuga at the Fiafia night), to support Rosebank School’s Samoan bilingual unit’s trip to Samoa in 2025.
Don’t miss this celebration of the beauty of Pasifika culture and the endearing spirit of our communities. The Whau Pasifika Festival promises to be a memorable experience filled with joy, music and unity.
Find out everything you need to know about the festival online here.
