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March 18, 2026
#REGIONAL | Polyfest returns to South Auckland celebrating culture, identity and rangatahi
Dale Husband
Posted On March 18, 2026
Download AudioOne of Aotearoa’s largest cultural events has officially begun in South Auckland, with thousands of students, performers and whānau gathering for the opening of ASB Polyfest.
The annual secondary schools festival, now in its 51st year, is once again transforming Manukau into a vibrant showcase of Māori and Pacific identity, with the first stage of the 2026 event running from today through to Saturday at the Manukau Sports Bowl.
Polyfest is widely regarded as the largest Māori and Pacific secondary school cultural festival in Australasia, drawing tens of thousands of visitors and providing a platform for rangatahi to perform traditional song, dance and speech across multiple cultural stages.
This year’s event reflects both growth and evolution. For the first time, the festival has been expanded across two venues and two timeframes, with the Diversity and Pacific stages opening proceedings this week, while the Māori stage will follow later this month at the Due Drop Events Centre.
Organisers say the changes are necessary to accommodate the rapid growth of the festival, which continues to attract increasing numbers of performers and spectators each year. The expansion allows more space for cultural groups to showcase their heritage, while maintaining the unity that has defined Polyfest since its beginnings in South Auckland in the 1970s.
Across the week, schools from throughout Tāmaki Makaurau and beyond will take to stages representing Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tonga and a growing Diversity stage that includes a wide range of cultures from across Asia, Africa and the Pacific.
Beyond the performances, Polyfest remains a significant cultural and community gathering point. More than 80,000 people are expected to attend across the festival period, with food stalls, arts and crafts, and community spaces adding to the atmosphere.
At its core, the event continues to be about identity, pride and intergenerational connection. For many rangatahi, Polyfest is not just a competition, but a space to stand in their culture, strengthen their language, and represent their schools and communities on one of the country’s biggest stages.
This year’s theme places a strong emphasis on environmental responsibility and the connection between people and the natural world, reflecting a growing awareness among young people of the challenges facing the Pacific and Aotearoa.
As Polyfest gets underway in South Auckland, the focus once again turns to the next generation – celebrating who they are, where they come from, and the cultures that continue to shape the future of Aotearoa.
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