Moana Nui Festival launching in February
A FESTIVAL celebrating Pacific culture in Dunedin will be held for the first time next year.
The Moana Nui festival will be held at Forsyth Barr Stadium on February 13, organised by the Pacific Trust Otago.
It will include music, stalls, food, arts, crafts and activities relating to Pacific cultures.
Event coordinator Stacey Kokaua said while similar events had been held in the past, the board of Pacific Trust Otago had had discussions this year about holding something that would bring the community together.
‘‘We wanted something that would meet the goals of Pacific people in the South.’’
The event was made possible through funding from the Ministry for Pacific Peoples and the Dunedin City Council, alongside support from Dunedin Venues, Ms Kokaua said.
‘‘It means we can do something on a larger scale at the stadium.’’
The organisation was hoping to fill the stadium for the event.
Alongside a main stage for traditional and contemporary cultural performances it would invite groups from different Pacific communities in Dunedin to set up ‘‘villages’’ in sections, Ms Kokaua said.
‘‘It’s not only a chance for the Dunedin people to experience
Pacific culture but also for Pacific people to experience each other’s cultures.
‘‘Being from the Cook Islands myself, I might not know everything about Samoan culture, so it’s an opportunity to learn more.’’
Moana Nui means large ocean, and the event was based around the ocean, Ms Kokaua said.
‘‘It brings us all together . . . it’s a shared symbol and moana is a word used in several Pacific languages.’’
Pacific Trust Otago general manager Finau Taungapeau said the event held further importance due to current border closures caused by Covid19.
‘‘A lot of people can’t go home and they’re missing their homelands . . . this will frame Dunedin as the Pacific city that it is.’’
If the festival was successful it would become a twoyearly event, Ms Taungapeau said.
‘‘We’re extending a warm welcome to everyone in Dunedin.
‘‘It’s a family event and a time for us to share and learn about each other.’’
Entry for the 10am to 5pm festival would be through giving a koha.