One of the biggest events on Auckland’s calendar is back to normality after a few years of cancellation and altering. Sela Jane Hopgood checks in from ASB Polyfest in Manukau.
It’s one of the largest Polynesian festivals in the world and for a couple of years it was far from ordinary. The 2019 Christchurch tragedy saw ASB Polyfest cancelled on its final day. In 2020 and 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic cancelled the four-day festival. The Covid restrictions later affected the way Polyfest ran with last year’s festivities going ahead, but with no crowds.
Fast forward to 2023, Wednesday began with the flag raising led by Tainui Kaumatua stage representatives overlooking the Māori stage, which is delayed to 3-5 April to allow student performers who took part in Te Matatini to be able to perform at Polyfest, followed by the powhiri at the Tongan stage.
Auckland Councillor Alf Filipaina says he’s glad to finally have everyone together at a venue that will see 100,000 visitors attend this week.
Polyfest celebrates its 48th year of revitalising language and culture on stage and it has come a long way since the inaugural festival that was held at Sir Edmund Hillary College in Ōtara with only four schools participating.
Diversity Stage was first to kick off the festivities on day one as well as the speech competitions on the Sāmoa and Tonga stages. Here is a recap from Wednesday and what to expect today:
Bringing different cultures together
The Diversity Stage was made operational to cater for the groups that can’t showcase their culture on the other main stages – Cook Islands, Niue, Sāmoa and Tonga.
West Auckland is home to the largest Tuvaluan community in Aotearoa and it showed with the large numbers that came out to support Massey High School’s Tuvaluan group perform a traditional fa’atele.
Kelston Boys High School had Fijian prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s grandson, Waisale Rabuka, open up their performance with a speech. The group’s supervisor Nalina Chand says the lead-up has been difficult due to the students balancing Polyfest practise and rugby training. “It didn’t help that we didn’t have enough time to rehearse,” she says.
Kelston Girls High School’s Fijian group had two weeks to prepare, like most schools due to the flooding in Auckland forcing schools to close. Teacher in charge Losa Dulakiverata says their performance touches on this year’s Polyfest theme ‘Mana Motuhake’ or creating one’s own destiny. “In order to create one’s destiny, one must get to know where they’ve come from and to acknowledge the land of mana whenua, where they’re able to create their destiny, yet remain connected to their homeland,” she says. The costumes are hand printed masi designs created by the tutors of the group, who are former students at Kelston Girls High School.
Highlight of the day: Seeing James Cook High School’s Indian group finish their performance with a surprise cheerleader formation hoist, where three dancers lifted a performer in the air, who sat cross-legged.
Lowlight of the day: Not enough food stalls selling Pacific Island soul food. I found a Cook Islands food stall selling their popular donuts and banana poke (pronounced: paw-keh), but I have yet to find some chop suey.
Food recommendation: Sim-plee Smoothies led by Kirsten Rolleston has been in operation for 12 years, and has served at Polyfest for seven years, selling dairy and dairy-free smoothies including mango, tropical delight and berry. Rolleston remembers performing at the Māori stage for Rosehill College. “Auckland is very busy these days and what I love about Polyfest is that it makes us stop, brings us all together to celebrate us,” she says. Rolleston says their mango smoothie is a popular choice. I had the tropical delight, and the name doesn’t disappoint. Find Sim-plee Smoothies outside the VIP lounge, in between Diversity stage and Tongan stage.
General vibe: The first day of Polyfest is usually not as busy and so there wasn’t much foot traffic. There were no queues at food stalls and plenty of space to park up and watch some performances at the old Velodrome, which is hosting the Diversity Stage.
What’s on today?
Diversity Stage enters day two of Polyfest with St. Cuthberts College’s Indian group going first at 9am. McAuley High School has entered the only Tokeluan group in the competition and are performing at 10am. Mt Richmond Special School has entered a Pasifika Fusion group; Avondale College has a Japanese group participating after the lunch hour and Papatoetoe High School’s Fijian and Tahitian group are ones to catch if you’re passing by. Their Fijian group placed 4th last year, will we see them move higher up in the ranks?
If you’re wanting to live stream the different stages, head to ASB Polyfest’s website to register to watch for free.
This is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.