From its humble beginning to becoming the largest Polynesian cultural festival in the world, ASB Polyfest shaped young people, strengthened cultural connections and promoted community resilience.
I remember having a 13-year-old fresh-faced boy like the smell of dried cow’s manure to paint the fibers in our piupiu-flutted by the bus. The sticky paint of the print Matora made the skin on my face look tight. I remember the nerves in my stomach when I got a glimpse of the stage at Manukau Sports Bowl as we passed the highway. This was my Polyfest debut and, despite the clear morning of the fall, I was full of a sense of excitement and pride when we left the bus and walked down the back gate to the tents behind the Maori stage.
Polyfest began in 1976, when four Auckland schools – Hillary College (now Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate), Māngere College, Seddon College (now Western Springs) and Arere College – gathered to create a space where students could express and celebrate their cultures. What began as a small meeting of students and whānau grew up at the largest Polynesian cultural festival in the world, with thousands of participants from more than 60 schools performing at six dedicated stages: Maori, Samoan, Tongona, Niuean, Cook Islands and the Diversity Stage.
In essence, Polyfest has always been about identity, language and connection. For many, it is the only place where they receive a true “cultural injection,” as Seiuli Tera Leo-Mau’u, director of the festival. “Our students, they think most of their cultural exposure comes from being part of a polyfest group, and that’s where they also build their strongest ties.”
Polyfest’s first memories of Seiuli return to four or five, helping his older brothers collect leaves for his clothes. Decades later, she now leads the festival and sees the continuous meaning of the event for young people who sail in their cultural identities. Schools use Polyfest not only as a performance opportunity, but also as a way to create community, combine younger students with senior mentors, reinforce language learning, and even integrate NZQA -approved credits in Kapa Haka and Pacific.
Despite its lasting success, Polyfest had its share of challenges. Switching from individual school places to a central place at Manukau Sports Bowl was a turning point, allowing greater accessibility and community involvement. The festival also faced external pressures-government financing cuts to interruptions due to Christchurch’s terrorist attack and Covid-19 pandemic.
“We had to be resilient,” says Leo-Mau’u. “Polyfest can operate at all, but nothing does not create an internship. We want to ensure that future generations need not justify why this festival must exist.”
Over time, the festival also expanded beyond its polynesian roots. The stage of diversity, which has begun as a small addition, now has more than 100 cultural groups, reflecting the demographic change of Auckland and a growing recognition of combined cultural identities. “This year, we probably have our largest number of groups at our stage of diversity,” says Leo-Mau’u. “But at the same time, our foundation remains: Polyfest started as a Maori and Pasifika cultural festival, and that’s where its roots will always be.”
One of the festival’s longest and most significant partnerships was at ASB, which entered on board in 1985 and is now marking 40 years of sponsorship. Niuafolau Joel Amosa, ASB community involvement manager, says this relationship goes beyond the brand – it is a genuine connection.
“It has been a beautiful relationship,” explains Amosa. “We work hard to go from transactional to transformative. It is about having a real and genuine involvement with the festival and the communities that serves.”
ASB involvement extends beyond financial support. The bank receives leadership days, brings the festival winners to perform at its headquarters and support initiatives that give students practical tools for their future. ASB also played a role in helping Polyfest navigating in tough times, including security concerns and pandemic years the festival had to be canceled.
For Amosa, ASB’s commitment to Polyfest reflects a broader strategy of cultural engagement. “Seeing the Pacific and Maori Kaimahi in ASB being so visible in Polyfest – he breaks barriers. This shows our young people that the banking sector is not just for a certain demographic group and that they can also enter these spaces.”
After leaving the stage on my first polyfest, I remember seeing the immense look of pride on my father’s face. Dad used to talk about how proud of me, but I could see him that day. In the typical fashion of the proud father, he even changed his photo from the Facebook profile to one of me on stage. I kept performing in three other Polyfest festivals, helping to lead our kapa in my last year in high school, where we managed to win the first place and promotion of our school for the division above. It remains one of my most proud moments so far. Kapa Haka taught me a lot about me, my culture, and helped me form friendships that will last a life.
When Polyfest reaches its 50 -year -old milestone, the question is: What’s next? Leo-Mau’u predicts a future in which the festival has a permanent home, sustainable financing and remains a pillar of cultural expression for young people.
“My prayer for this festival is that we don’t need to justify why we exist in the next 50 years,” she says. “We have tasted our history. We are still here, with 50 years of strong. Now it is to ensure that the next generations have the same opportunity.”
This future may include the guarantee of a dedicated place – a permanent house that ensures that the festival has stability and space to grow. Currently, Polyfest depends on temporary staging and infrastructure at Manukau Sports Bowl, which comes with logistics and financial challenges. The festival also remains strongly dependent on partnerships and sponsorships, with the ASB playing a leadership role. However, changes in government financing for arts and culture means that ensuring long -term financial sustainability is a continuous challenge.
For ASB, the goal is to continue evolving alongside Polyfest, ensuring that their support remains significant. “The last 50 years have shown a lot of growth, not just at the festival itself, but in the way we get involved,” says Joel. “The next 50 years will be about opportunities for expansion, inside and offstage.”
From four schools in 1976 to a festival that attracts tens of thousands of students, teachers, whānau and supporters, Polyfest remains a source of pride and cultural celebration. For those who have been at Polyfest – Racing Adrenaline, the voices raised in Waiata or Sāsā – is more than just an event. It is a rite of passage. A ball. And a promise to the next generation that their stories, their tongues and their cultures will always have a place to shine.
