We attended the 50th Anniversary celebration of ASB Polyfest in 2025. This Auckland Secondary Schools’ cultural festival, the largest in Australasia, drew over 80,000 visitors over four days. Schools and the community enjoyed performances on cultural stages representing the Cook Islands, Diversity, Māori, Niue, Samoa, and Tonga.
ASB Polyfest provides a platform for Auckland’s secondary school cultural groups and individuals to showcase their talents in speech competitions and group performances, all in front of family and friends.
This year’s theme, “LEGACY – a treasure handed down” (“He oha nō tua, he taonga tuku iho!”), highlighted the festival’s rich history.
Large crowds attended, enjoying a diverse range of stallholders offering Pacific food delicacies and arts and crafts from Aotearoa and the Pacific.
The official pōwhiri took place on 2 April 2025. ASB Polyfest is a smoke-free, vape-free, drug-free, and alcohol-free event, celebrating the students’ participation and the festival’s 50th anniversary.
~ Mrs Gurpreet Kaur