The world’s largest secondary schools cultural competition begins in south Auckland today.
The ASB Polyfest will be held over two dates, first at the Manukau Sports Bowl from March 8–11 and from April 3–5 at the Due Drop Events Centre for the Māori competition.
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ASB Polyfest festival, which began in 1976, features traditional music, dance, costume and cultural speech competitions.
It’s one of the most recognised events on Auckland’s calendar, showcasing New Zealand’s diverse cultures and a celebration of youth performance.
Students compete for first place on six stages, performing traditional items from the Cook Islands, Aotearoa, Niue, Samoa, and Tonga.
There is also a Diversity stage to honour the cultures that weren’t previously included in the festival.
Multiple schools were involved in February’s massive kapa haka festival and competition, Te Matatini.
In order to give those students more time to prepare for the Polyfest Māori stage, their event is being held later on.
The Cook Islands, Niue, Samoan, Tongan stage speech competitions start from midday.
On Friday, the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoan, and Tongan stages finally begin their competitions.
