Fifty years of Polyfest: A legacy of culture, community, and connection

From its humble beginnings to becoming the world’s largest Polynesian cultural festival, ASB Polyfest has shaped generations of young people, strengthened cultural connections, and fostered community resilience. 

I remember being a fresh-faced 13-year-old as the smell of dry cow dung – used to dye the fibres on our piupiu – wafted through the bus. The sticky ink from the stenciled-on mataora made the skin on my face feel tight. I remember the nerves in my stomach as I caught glimpses of the stages at the Manukau Sports Bowl as we drove past on the motorway. This was my debut at Polyfest, and despite the crisp autumn morning, I was filled with a sense of excitement and pride as we stepped off the bus and walked through the back gate to the tents behind the Māori stage.

Polyfest began in 1976 when four Auckland schools – Hillary College (now Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate), Māngere College, Seddon College (now Western Springs) and Aorere College – came together to create a space where students could express and celebrate their cultures. What started as a small gathering of students and whānau has grown into the world’s largest Polynesian cultural festival, with thousands of participants from over 60 schools performing across six dedicated stages: Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Niuean, Cook Islands, and the Diversity stage.

At its core, Polyfest has always been about identity, language, and connection. For many, it’s the only place where they get a true “cultural injection,” as Seiuli Terri Leo-Mau’u, festival director, puts it. “Our students, they find most of their cultural exposure actually comes from being part of a Polyfest group, and that’s where they also build their strongest bonds.”

Seiuli’s earliest memories of Polyfest go back to when she was four or five, helping her older siblings collect leaves for their costumes. Decades later, she now leads the festival and sees the event’s ongoing significance for young people navigating their cultural identities. Schools use Polyfest not just as a performance opportunity but also as a way to create community, pairing younger students with senior mentors, reinforcing language learning, and even integrating NZQA-approved credits into kapa haka and Pacific studies.

Despite its lasting success, Polyfest has had its share of challenges. Moving from individual school venues to a central location at the Manukau Sports Bowl was a turning point, allowing for greater accessibility and community engagement. The festival has also faced external pressures – from government funding cuts to interruptions due to the Christchurch terror attack and the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We’ve had to be resilient,” Leo-Mau’u says. “Polyfest can operate on nothing, but nothing doesn’t build a stage. We want to make sure that future generations don’t have to justify why this festival should exist.”

Over time, the festival has also expanded beyond its Polynesian roots. The Diversity Stage, which began as a small addition, now features over 100 cultural groups, reflecting Auckland’s shifting demographics and a growing recognition of blended cultural identities. “This year, we probably have our biggest number of groups on our Diversity Stage,” Leo-Mau’u notes. “But at the same time, our foundation remains: Polyfest started as a Māori and Pasifika cultural festival, and that’s where its roots will always be.”

One of the festival’s longest and most significant partnerships has been with ASB, which first came on board in 1985 and is now marking 40 years of sponsorship. Niuafolau Joel Amosa, ASB’s community engagement manager, says this relationship goes beyond branding – it’s about genuine connection.

“It’s been a beautiful relationship,” Amosa explains. “We’ve worked really hard to move from being transactional to transformative. It’s about having real, genuine engagement with the festival and the communities it serves.”

ASB’s involvement extends beyond financial support. The bank hosts leadership days, brings festival winners to perform at its head office, and supports initiatives that give students practical tools for their futures. ASB has also played a role in helping Polyfest navigate tough times, including safety concerns and the pandemic years when the festival had to be cancelled.

For Amosa, ASB’s commitment to Polyfest reflects a broader strategy of cultural engagement. “Seeing Pacific and Māori kaimahi at ASB being so visible at Polyfest – it breaks down barriers. It shows our young people that banking isn’t just for a certain demographic, and that they too can step into these spaces.”

After stepping off stage at my first Polyfest, I remember seeing the immense look of pride on my father’s face. Dad often spoke about how proud of me he was, but I could see it that day. In typical proud father fashion, he even changed his Facebook profile picture to one of me on the stage. I would go on to perform at another three Polyfest festivals, helping to lead our kapa in my final year at high school, where we managed to gain our school’s first-ever placing and promotion to the division above. It remains one of my proudest moments to date. Kapa haka taught me a lot about myself, my culture, and helped me to form friendships that will last a lifetime. 

As Polyfest reaches its 50-year milestone, the question is: what’s next? Leo-Mau’u envisions a future where the festival has a permanent home, sustainable funding, and remains a pillar of cultural expression for young people.

“My prayer for this festival is that we don’t have to justify why we exist in the next 50 years,” she says. “We’ve proved our track record. We’re still here, 50 years strong. Now it’s about ensuring the next generations have the same opportunity.”

​​That future could include securing a dedicated venue – a permanent home that ensures the festival has stability and room to grow. Currently, Polyfest relies on temporary staging and infrastructure at the Manukau Sports Bowl, which comes with logistical and financial challenges. The festival also remains heavily reliant on partnerships and sponsorships, with ASB playing a leading role. However, shifts in government funding for arts and culture mean that securing long-term financial sustainability is an ongoing challenge.

For ASB, the goal is to continue evolving alongside Polyfest, ensuring that its support remains meaningful. “The last 50 years have shown immense growth, not only in the festival itself but in the way we engage,” Joel says. “The next 50 years will be about expanding opportunities, both on and off the stage.”

From four schools in 1976 to a festival that draws tens of thousands of students, teachers, whānau, and supporters, Polyfest remains a source of cultural pride and celebration. For those who have ever stood at Polyfest – adrenaline racing, voices lifted in waiata or sāsā – it’s more than just an event. It’s a rite of passage. A homecoming. And a promise to the next generation that their stories, their languages, and their cultures will always have a place to shine.