Under blue skies that could have been lifted straight from a Pacific Islands postcard, Nelson Tasman's inaugural Pasefika Festival brought the rhythms, flavours and spirit from the likes of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Niue to the masses.
Founders Heritage Park could’ve been mistaken for a traditional Pacific village, with local performances eliciting a few chee hoos from the sea of spectators who included some dressed to the nines.
Equally impressive were the traditional kai, art, and craft stalls, a large tapa cloth made by Nelson City councillor Matty Anderson and local Pasefika kids, and a short documentary film from local Pasifika elders celebrating Pasefika identity in Nelson Tasman.
The festival was organised by the volunteer-led Pasefika Arts & Culture Collective, with director Nikita Takai ecstatic the festival’s debut was “loud and proud” with Island vibes.
“Our community really turned out and I think we were expecting to have a few lulls throughout the day, but the crowd felt like it was really full throughout the day, so it was amazing,” she says.
“We're straight into planning the next one, it might not be 2027, but it will definitely happen again sometime soon, I think we'll aim for a biennial.”
