In 2025, the Wellington Pasifika Festival welcomed thousands of people to celebrate the sights, sounds and flavours of the Pacific. This free whānau-friendly festival celebrates our diverse Pacific communities. From art and language to performance and food – the Pasifika Festival is all about acknowledging the richness of our Pacific cultures.
This year’s event theme was ‘Journey’, represented through onstage performances, a live stone carving event, Étū rere pā‘ata - The Shooting Star Programme, and a new Wellington Pasifika Festival stamp collection passport for the little ones.
Artist Leo Semau returned this year, with the stone carving that was commissioned for the festival now half-way complete. Visitors were able to speak to him about the process, learn about the craft and leave their own mark on the ‘anchor stone’. The sculpture will return in 2026, completing its evolution across three Pasifika Festivals.
The day also included a festival wide activation based on the card game ‘Lalaga’, designed by Torisse Lalau. The game is based around Pasifika talanoa (wisdom) and encouraged attendees to kōrero and connect with each other by sharing stories.
The 2025 Wellington Pasifika Festival (presented by Wellington City Council) was made possible by many, with a special acknowledgement for the Pasifika Patrol who are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year.
For information about the Wellington Pasifika Festival 2026, check this page early next year.
Festival themes
In 2024 we introduced a theme ’Homeland’, the start of a three-year festival journey from our homes in the Pacific to our home here in New Zealand:
2024 – Homeland. The Homeland concept was represented with our commissioned Pasifika artwork, a stone sculpture, that is being transformed and developed across three festivals. Last year, the artwork was a blank canvas. Festival attendees could see the stone and meet artist Leo Semau.
2025 – Journey. This year we explored migration stories across the sea with performances, food, art installations and more. Leo Seamu returned with a carving half-finished and invited festival goers to contribute to the representative ‘anchor stone’ sculpture.
2026 – Our theme next year will be ‘Arrival’.