Polyfest

Soulful Tokelauan singing, tasty seafood fritters and an urgent plea for sunscreen stations – that's a wrap on Polyfest day two.

I expect a larger turnout today, with families perched on the grass in front of the Cook Islands, Sāmoa and Tonga stages, holding umbrellas up for shade and waving their island fans to catch a hint of breeze on a hot day. Manurewa High School won on the Sāmoan stage last year for the first time and they’ll be looking to secure that spot again at around 3.45pm, while Avondale College’s Sāmoan group will be tough competition, having placed top three for many years. An acknowledgement to their ancestors and the importance of holding on to one’s culture was refreshing, especially as many schools on the diversity stage use a music backing track for their performance. This is Mau’u’s first time serving at Polyfest, with seafood fritters, raw energy slaw, pina colada chia pudding and a Sāmoan pineapple beverage called vaifala on offer. We’re grateful to have the sun join us again this year, but if you’re planning to attend for the whole day, I encourage you to take sunscreen with you. The Vietnamese group wore mint-coloured tunics, the traditional attire for women, and bamboo hats, which they had painted together as a group. The student leaders shared that their costumes, which included palazzo pants, are traditionally worn in celebrations and festivals,. Find Sister Sei’s food stall near the Diversity Stage. They’re guaranteed to wow the crowd at around 1.10pm. The soulful harmonies as the students sang their national anthem, followed by songs that reflected their gratitude for being present and showcasing Tokelau on stage, rang out. The largest Polynesian traditional dance competition in the world, ASB Polyfest, saw many different cultures come together to learn from and about one another. The Chinese group used traditional fans, which the student leaders said were delicate “and advised students that if they drop their fan, they’ll have to do some burpees”.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni are at Polyfest, meeting performers at the one of the largest Pacific festivals in ...

"Tamati has indicated ... "Is there more to do? [expansion of New Zealand's working holiday visa scheme with the UK](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/485683/uk-working-holiday-visa-scheme-expansion-arrives-early), announced by Hipkins this morning, was a "win-win" for both countries, he said. [today announced that he will quit Parliament at the end of this term](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/485693/labour-mp-tamati-coffey-to-quit-parliament-at-election). [being planned by tens of thousands of school teachers next week](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/485676/teachers-say-it-s-not-just-money-they-re-after-they-re-leaving-for-the-lifestyle), Hipkins said the issue was ultimately a matter for the Ministry of Education and teachers to work through. [challenges being faced by the healthcare sector](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/485688/correct-emergency-department-data-expected-to-be-released-today), Hipkins said hospitals were under a lot of pressure.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has arrived at the Auckland Secondary Schools' Polyfest for the very first time - and was not shy when called upon to take part ...

But when Sepuloni jumped in to say they would all do it, he happily joined his fellow Labour MPs to sing out a loud group “cheehoo!” With nothing but sunshine forecast for tomorrow’s weather, the final day of this year’s Polyfest is expected to bring in the most crowds, as the remaining school groups take to the various stages to wrap up a successful festival. As Hipkins - draped in flower lei necklaces - attempts to dance quietly in the background, the MC takes his arm and encourages him to the front and centre of the stage, as his fellow politicians dance around him. The Pacific Island stages - Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island and Niuean - open up today and tomorrow; bringing more high school groups to the spotlight and more competition. Afterwards, while speaking to media, he was asked by the Herald to give a “cheehoo!” - a celebratory cry used in Samoa during various occasions. When he arrived at the Samoan stage, the crowd erupted in applause when he was introduced to the stage. Students from the school that had just finished performing, Papatoetoe High, were called on to back Hipkins and his team, as he graciously accepted the invitation - clapping and swaying from side to side, as students sang and danced behind him. As Hipkins was due to leave the stage, MC Lemoa Henry Fesulua’i, a respected Samoan language tutor, stopped him and announced that a siva (dance) was about to take place in honour of them - much to the crowd’s delight. [Polyfest 2023: Embracing the world’s cultures - NZ ...](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/talanoa/polyfest-2023-embracing-the-worlds-cultures/RMIBNADL25CVHLAC62IISGNSCE/?ref=readmore) [Polyfest 2023: Day 2 diary and reminiscing of festival ...](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/talanoa/polyfest-2023-day-2-diary-and-reminiscing-of-festival-memories/EEXGVDHKTZGQHMRZ22PTHFNMRE/?ref=readmore) [Carmel Sepuloni: Tāmaki Makaurau/Aukilani/Auckland ...](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/carmel-sepuloni-tamaki-makaurauaukilaniauckland-the-real-winner-of-polyfest-2023/AOQMF24YNFCZRPLQRHNOARWMSQ/?ref=readmore) [Polyfest 2023: Prime Minister Chris Hipkins arrives ...](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/talanoa/polyfest-2023-prime-minister-chris-hipkins-arrives-in-island-style-at-his-first-polyfest/YGBGVGXKGZE6TIS2OH2KNJS5YY/?ref=readmore) [Polyfest 2023 gets back to basics post-Covid...](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/talanoa/polyfest-2023-gets-back-to-basics-post-covid/DBAH7AXP2ZG4FIW56ZEX2JXRGQ/?ref=readmore) [Polyfest 2023: Family recipe proves to be the winning ...](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/talanoa/polyfest-2023-family-recipe-proves-to-be-the-winning-ticket-for-two-decades/NGFTICFJVRANTJWX244FAFNGEQ/?ref=readmore) Hipkins was then taken on a brief walkabout through a section of the festival - happily stopping to greet members of the public and posing for photos with youngsters. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has arrived at the Auckland Secondary Schools’ Polyfest for the very first time - and was not shy when called upon to take part in a Samoan siva. It was bucketing with rain earlier this morning - before Hipkins arrived - but the rain has eased back; with Hipkins seemingly bringing the sun with him as he turned up a little behind schedule.

The prime minister and deputy prime minister have been meeting with students at the cultural festival.

Paper plates piled with barbequed chicken, chopsuey, a Raro donut and that famous pink potato salad make up the perfect hot plate at this year's Polyfest ...

This is what we love.” This is what we do. “I love the mainese. We do it from scratch. That’s our point of difference,” says Beigh Mariner, who has been with the team for nine years. Today’s option is pumpkin poke.

The prime minister performs at his first Polyfest, while the Sāmoan stage gets off to an amazing start.

This is a dance item performed with sticks to the beat of the drum, very similar to the English Morris dance. The mā’ulu’ulu section has the most participating schools this year and it’s a dance where the performers are seated in staggered rows, with a mix of singing and dance gestures. The girls are the last to perform around 1.35pm. The Cook Islands stage continues with their division two and one schools including Manurewa High School and Māngere College who are not strangers to this stage. “Celebrating your culture is a big part of your identity,” he emphasised to the students present. Tutor Itagia Faavaoga says their performance highlights the journey each of the students have had embracing their culture.

Sunny skies will guarantee an epic final day of competition at what has been a hugely successful Auckland Secondary Schools' Polyfest this year.

Niuean stage spectators will see seven groups from around Auckland. As well as the performances, members of the public will be treated to delicious foods from around the Pacific region and Aotearoa at the many food stalls at the festival. Students will be performing on all the Pacific stages that opened yesterday - Samoan, Tongan, Cook Islands and Niuean - from 9am to 3pm.

In looking ahead to the final day of the 2023 festival, ASB Polyfest event director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu says ““we've had so many disruptions over the past ...

This year’s festival has once again shone a light of Maori & Pacific culture, and youth performance. This year has seen 55 schools, 181 cultural groups, 8,000 students performing traditional speech, song and dance on five stages, to a crowd of approximately 60,000 people. Groups compete in three divisions – boys schools, girls schools and co-educational schools.