Pasifika Festival, one of the world's largest celebrations of Pacific Island culture, will again transform Western Springs into a vibrant hub of music, dance, and tradition next year.

On 14 and 15 March, eight villages will host 11 Pacific Island nations for two days of live performances, dance, arts and crafts, and food. Since beginning in 1993, the festival has become a must‑attend event for many and a cornerstone festival of Auckland's cultural landscape.

Next year's festivalgoers can expect to see a newly designed logo which amplifies Pacific cultural pride and contemporary identity.

Co‑designed by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, which delivers the festival on behalf of Auckland Council Events, and the festival's cultural advisors, the new logo centres on the tapa cloth, a traditional barkcloth found throughout the Pacific Islands. Known by many names across the Pacific, tapa is used for many purposes including mats, clothing and hats, and for Pacific peoples living in Aotearoa, it is a connection to family, culture, and home islands. Each of the squares that make up the logo is a unique tapa design from the Pacific Island nations represented at the festival.

"Pasifika is more than an event – it's a celebration of identity, heritage, and community," says Jep Savali, Group Manager for Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, an Auckland Council‑controlled organisation. "We worked closely with our cultural advisors from all 11 represented nations to create a logo that truly honours the diversity of the Pacific Islands."

"The logo has genuine depth of meaning and representation, showcasing all Pacific identities, connecting to the past but also to the future as demonstrated by the thriving Pacific communities who live in Aotearoa. Whether you're a first‑time visitor or a returning festivalgoer, Pasifika Festival 2026 promises something for everyone."

Pasifika Festival 2026

Dates: 14 and 15 March 2026
Times: Saturday, 14 March: 9am‑6pm; Sunday, 15 March: 12pm‑6pm
Location: Western Springs Lakeside Park, Western Springs, Auckland
Admission: Free entry
For more information visit: aucklandnz.com/pasifika

Pasifika Festival is an all ages, alcohol‑free, family‑friendly event supported by Auckland Council Events.

Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery is proud to announce Rachael Davies as its new Director Upoko Whare Taonga me ngaa Toi.

Davies joins the Museum with more than 20 years of senior leadership experience across Aotearoa and internationally, including roles at Te Papa Tongarewa, Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, and the Science Museum Group in the UK.

Most recently, Davies led Te Papa's international and domestic touring exhibitions, helping to revitalise its programme with new touring shows for Aotearoa, and delivering a successful international summer season including Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery.

Her previous role as Head of Exhibitions and Interpretation at the Science Museum in London saw her lead major exhibition seasons – from developing large scale immersive experiences Science Fiction – Voyage into the Unknown through to shows addressing global challenges with Our Future Planet and international touring programme, Hunt for the Vaccine.

Davies has also led the gallery renewal team at Auckland and held curatorial roles at Tauranga Museum and Hawke's Bay Cultural Trust. Her work has consistently centred audience development, community partnerships and maatauranga Maaori.

"I'm honoured to join Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery," says Davies.

"This is a place where the stories of Waikato and the taonga of Tangata Whenua are protected and shared with mana. I look forward to working with the team, iwi partners, and our communities to creatively grow the Museum's reach and impact on the cultural life of the city and region."

Canterbury Museum is celebrating RISE as the most successful exhibition ever held.

More than 100,000 visitors have been through the street art exhibition in the six weeks since it opened on 20 December last year.

Museum Director Anthony Wright says 112,385 visitors had been recorded when the Museum closed on Sunday 26 January, and explains that the popularity of the show may be highlighting a cultural change taking place in Christchurch.

“Broadly speaking, post-earthquakes there seems to have been a subtle movement in Christchurch’s sometimes conservative mindset,” he says. “RISE is a prime example of the wider community’s support for change and innovation in Christchurch. As the rebuild ramps up, more people are thinking outside the square and taking calculated risks with positive results. The community seems to be welcoming new ideas with open arms, which is great.”

RISE, which profiles the best of street art from New Zealand and around the world, including original works by British artist Banksy, is exhibited across three levels within the Museum with the latest art installation by Belgian artist ROA just completed in the Bird Hall.

“ROA’s moa on the exterior north wall of the Museum has proved really popular, so we asked him if he would like to paint the ceiling of the Bird Hall inside. You can imagine our excitement when he said yes!”

RISE runs until 23 March and Mr Wright expects visitor numbers to remain high until the exhibition closes.

“We’re expecting good visitation from domestic and international tourists to Christchurch in the next few weeks. The word has got out - RISE is New Zealand’s must-see exhibition this summer,” he says.

ENDS

Canterbury Museum has today announced the major artists who will feature their artwork in the summer blockbuster exhibition, RISE.

The international artists include ROA, Anthony Lister, Thom Buchanan, Beastman and Ian ‘Kid Zoom’ Strange, while the New Zealand lineup consists of Askew 1, Eno, BMD, Ghǿstie aka Sean Duffell, Yikes, Wongi and Ikarus.

Adelaide artist, Thom Buchanan, who has an Honours Degree in Fine Arts and teaches painting and drawing at the University of South Australia, is excited to be creating an artwork for the exhibition. He began creating the ‘streetscape’ in the Museum’s Special Exhibition Hall on Monday.

“This is a beautiful space to be working in especially seeing the transition from historical displays to contemporary art,” he says. “Meeting Wongi and the local guys has also been great. Watching them create the evolution of street art in the same space, through layers of paint which each tell their own story, is fantastic.”

Buchanan, who specializes in two-dimensional painting and portraiture, as well as video and in-situ performance art, has spent 15 years in the industry and is looking forward to setting the scene for RISE which opens at the Museum on 20 December.

“This amazing space is bringing every form of graffiti and street art together and blending it in within a backdrop – one of the largest streetscapes I’ve ever produced,” he says. I’ve been envisaging street artists painting over the top of my work for a few years and RISE has offered me the opportunity – it’s sensational!”

The artwork, which the public can view being developed now, will take approximately two weeks to complete and is just one of many stunning murals to be created in the Museum’s exhibition galleries for the RISE exhibition.

“My aim is to create a work that people here can relate to, one that draws on Christchurch pre-quake but also may plant a seed of thought for the rebuild.”

For more information on RISE and the artists mentioned above, visit www.oiyou.co.nz 

The Seafarers Building in Britomart is home to a new Coffee Supreme Coffee Brew Bar. Supreme Seafarers opens today, dedicated to providing a unique experience for Auckland coffee drinkers.

The new venture will house a coffee brew bar and retail concept store, featuring hand selected brands, alongside the full range of Coffee Supreme coffees and accessories for at-home brewing. 

In the pursuit of better coffee, Supreme Seafarers will offer batch brewed made using a Fetco batch brewer, a purpose build stainless steel machine imported from the United States.

“The Fetco is essentially a machine to make filter coffee. But throw away any preconceptions you may have about filter coffee, the taste experience of a batch brewed Fetco coffee is unlike anything else. The Fetco is infinitely controllable, which means we can customise each brew, including the bloom time – the time the coffee spends soaking – to suit the coffee we’re working with,” says Coffee Supreme Managing Director Al Keating.

Coffee Supreme has been at the forefront of single origin brews – using chemex, pour over and even plunger, but is perhaps most well-known for its espresso roasts, served in the best cafes across the country.

“We want to provide people with choice. There are many ways to enjoy a good coffee, but as the quality of coffee available here in New Zealand has improved we have evolved our brewing methods, to ensure we’re making the most of the beans we purchase from around the world. The beans we plan to batch brew are roasted in a very particular way, tailored to the origin of coffee, this filter roast ensures the individual flavour characteristics translate into the cup,” says Al Keating.

Keating compares the flavours provided by batch brewing to wine, likening espresso to the choice between red and white, while batch brewing allows the unique varietal flavours of single origin coffee beans to be enjoyed.

The Fetco batch brewer can brew 1.9L, which pours between eight to ten coffees, in six minutes, meaning the coffee – most importantly – will always be served fresh.

To complement the range of coffee on offer Supreme Seafarers will serve café style food made by the Ostro kitchen, under the creative direction of Michelin-awarded Josh Emmett. 

Supreme Seafarers will occupy the lobby of the new Seafarers building. In addition to manning the coffee bar and retail concept store, its personable staff will act as concierges for the development.

“The reception area is the first point of contact with guests to Seafarers, and we wanted to ensure they are immediately welcomed. This concept is unique outside of a hotel, but we think it will provide a cultural epicentre for not only the building, but the greater Britomart precinct, allowing our guests to shop, relax and discover the building, while drinking great coffee,” says Lucien Law from Seafarers.

Supreme have worked with Fearon Hay on the design of the site, which has been carefully considered to ensure a comfortable environment allowing staff to work quickly and efficiently, and space for customers to shop, wait for takeaways or browse the retail concept store. This concept is the first foray into non-coffee retail for Coffee Supreme, and will complement the full range of coffee and accessories produced by the company. The retail offer will include guest brands, with an evolving product range changing with each season.

“The concept for the location is a contemporary supply store for the urban-based world traveller. We want the space to have an international feel, while celebrating some of the best brands in New Zealand. The space is also the first location in the Auckland CBD where people can buy a wide selection of our coffee for at-home or in-office brewing,” says Keating.

Supreme Seafarers is open seven days from 7:00am.

From Buzzy Bees to paua shells, Kiwiana is being celebrated at Canterbury Museum next month.

The celebration marks the 50th anniversary since Bluff couple, Fred and Myrtle Flutey, first opened their home to the public in 1963 to showcase their incredible collection of paua shells and kitsch collectables. The couple’s paua shell collection is now an iconic kiwi attraction and is on display in a perfect recreation of their house at Canterbury Museum.

To celebrate the anniversary next month, visitors will have an opportunity to guess the number of paua shells in Fred & Mrytle’s Paua Shell House and go in the draw to win a great prize.

On 6 November at 6pm, University of Canterbury Associate Professor New Zealand History, Katie Pickles, will present a free public talk on Kiwiana in the Museum’s Bird Hall. Katie will explain what kiwiana is and what it reveals about New Zealand and its history. From the Buzzy Bee to the sausage sizzle, kiwiana is currently experiencing a revival that intrigues researchers.

Later in the month, on Sunday 24 November from 1pm -2pm in the Bird Hall, Richard Wolfe will talk about New Zealand! New Zealand! In Praise of Kiwiana - the first book on Kiwiana published in 1989, which he wrote with Stephen Barnett. Mr Wolfe will look at this country ‘before’ Kiwiana, and how interest in New Zealand’s brand of popular culture has grown and developed in the last quarter century. He will examine what Kiwiana says about New Zealanders, and how it might distinguish ‘kiwis’ from other nationalities. He will also reveal what he likes – and doesn’t like – about Kiwiana, and illustrate his talk with some classic examples of the genre.

Throughout Kiwiana Month, the Museum Cafe will be offering classic kiwi treats for those wanting a neat bite to eat during their visit, and the Museum Store will also have a special display of cool, retro kiwiana gifts available to purchase.

For information about Kiwiana Month and the public talks taking place at the Museum, see www.canterburymuseum.com

This year's Kaipara Cultural Festival is set to provide whanau all around the Rodney District with a fun filled cultured day out.

The festival is open to all schools in the Rodney District with children from pre-school to College participating.  Schools from Kaipara Harbour, north of Wellsford right down to the Peninsula come to the festival to participate.

"The Kaipara festival is a good kaupapa now in its 21st year.  Not only is it great to see the talent in our district but the participation of schools and the commitment of teachers and tutors to the kaupapa also needs to be acknowledged" says Kereama Nathan from Te Herenga Waka o Orewa.  

The hosting schools, Whangaparaoa Primary and College in association with Te Herenga Waka o Orewa, will perform a powhiri to open the event at 8am.

Details
Date:  Saturday 19th October 2013
Time:  Powhiri 8am - finishes 6pm
Venue: Whangaparaoa Primary School, Ladies Mile

Festival goers can expect a large range of food stalls including hangi, mussel chowder, mussel fritters, Maori fried bread, cakes, biscuits, subway sandwiches, sausage sizzle, bacon and egg rolls, drinks, candy floss, ice cream, sweet treats.  Eftpos is available on the day.

It will be a fun day for the whole whanau with wonderful performances from our tamariki, loads of good kai and fantastic Maori art and kiwiana stalls.

- ends -
For more information on the festival, contact:  Debra Brewer, 021 116 3907

He has until lunchtime Friday to finish the first of the Big Walls aspect of the Oi You! project, but Australian street artist Vans the Omega is confident that time is on his side.

Working with the theme of time and the aid of a cherry picker, the artist is spray-painting a large wall at CPIT next to the Art & Design building on Madras St. “I’ve got enough time to do it right... I will know when I am closing in to an endpoint. It’s only done when it’s done,” he says. 

It’s not the biggest wall he’s painted but it “has its challenges”, he says “because of the space and the tightness”.

“Using the [cherry]pickers obviously can be very slow and moving a bit at a snail’s pace, just to get the momentum of movement around this building.

“A lot of the time I can’t turn the basket so I am front on to the wall, so I am twisted at funny angles. You’re problem solving and your body is problem solving, so it’s a real workout.”

As he works, high up in the air, Vans the Omega is thinking about time and taking inspiration from his surroundings. “I don’t have any drawn plan so it is coming off the top of my head, but I get a lot of feedback from the wall, the space, the environment, people who come past, what’s happening at the time. I try to remain open and be a little bit of a conduit of what’s happening around the place, so it works a little bit more organically that way. I don’t like to feel rigid or stuck into a plan.”

Vans the Omega’s work kicks off the Oi Youi! Project, which culminates in the Oi YOU! Collection – the southern hemisphere’s most comprehensive collection of artwork by internationally recognised street artists, including 22 works by Banksy – at Canterbury Museum from 20 December.

The wall is the first of 10 to be transformed around the city by local and international artists from bleakness to vibrancy as part of the project. CPIT is also involved in the Oi You! Art for All series of events and activities to be run later this year.

Canterbury Museum has announced its summer blockbuster exhibition, which will be the largest, and possibly most controversial, ever held at the facility. Rise presented in collaboration with Oi YOU! is a celebration of street art and will open on Friday 20 December just in time for the summer tourist season.

Supported by the Canterbury Community Trust, Mediaworks, CPIT, Christchurch City Council, Ministry of Awesome and YMCA, RISE will be displayed in more than three gallery spaces across three levels within the Museum and profile the best of street art from around the world and New Zealand. Leading international artists Banksy, Ian Strange (kid Zoom), ROA, Thom Buchanan, Milton Springsteen and Vans the Omega, will all have their talents on show alongside reputable urban artists from New Zealand such as Christchurch’s own Wongi.

“I’m really blown away that the Museum is in a position to host such a brilliant display of this magnitude,” says Canterbury Museum Director Anthony Wright.

“This genre of art and its profile throughout the Museum galleries is a first for us, and will hopefully ignite the interest not only of tourists spending time in Christchurch and our regular visitors, but also of communities throughout the city who would not normally visit us during the year,” he says.

The exhibition’s owners George Shaw and Shannon Webster of Oi YOU!, who have also organised street art festivals in Nelson and Adelaide, have indicated that while RISE is held at Canterbury Museum, the featuring artists may also create artworks around Christchurch’s central city with advance permission from building owners.

“Beyond the artists we’ve already secured for RISE, we’re also actively seeking funding to engage other major local and international street artists to create huge murals throughout Christchurch’s CBD - we hope to announce these in coming weeks,” says George.

Mr Wright says given the sensitivity around graffiti in the city, prior to the development of the RISE exhibition, the Museum team consulted with key heritage groups to ensure they were fully informed about the background of the exhibition at Canterbury Museum, and the significance of street art to Christchurch post-earthquakes.

“RISE has not been designed to glorify graffiti, encourage or promote vandalism. This exhibition will profile the very best of street art, a recognised genre celebrated world-wide - most recently at the 2013 Venice Biennale – and will align with other exhibitions presented by SCAPE Public Art and the Christchurch Art Gallery’s Outer Spaces programme,” he says.

George and Shannon, who own 22 original Banksy artworks, are thrilled to be able to display the works in the Museum, and bring international artists to Christchurch as part of the street art celebration with the aim that Christchurch will become the street art capital of New Zealand.

“Street art is being embraced by forward-looking cities the world over. Our aim is to find a permanent base for our collection in Christchurch and to make the city home to a world-class annual event,” says George.
RISE will open to the public at Canterbury Museum on 20 December 2013 until 23 March 2014. Entry is free.

For more information see www.streetart.co.nz.

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Countdown customers will learn the te reo translations for some of their favourite everyday items while they shop this week as part of Māori Language Week 2013.

Countdown is proud to celebrate Māori Language Week for a third year, and from today customers will see 38 different food categories in Māori, promoting awareness and knowledge of the language.

Nau mai ki Countdown and Welcome to Countdown will be the first message shoppers will see when they come into stores over the next week. As part of the theme, informational booklets will be available showing how some of our most well-known place names are pronounced – among them: “Mutter Mutter” (Matamata), “Toe Paw” (Taupo) and “Tucker Puna” (Takapuna).

“With 166 stores nationwide and more than 18,500 people employed in our team, we host Kiwi shoppers every day. Traditional Maori names for cities and towns are all around us, but there’s plenty of room for us to improve our pronunciation, and to go beyond this with other everyday phrases”, says Dave Chambers, Managing Director at Countdown.

“We’re proud to support Māori Language Week again and help integrate and use this unique language more and more. Through this support we look forward to fostering greater understanding of te reo into the future,” says Mr Chambers.

Cantabrians and visitors to Christchurch only have one more week to view Scott's Last Expedition before it closes at Canterbury Museum on Sunday.

More than 10,000 people have viewed the award-winning exhibition, which tells the epic story of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his ill-fated Terra Nova expedition - a tale of adventure, discovery and tragedy.

Scott's Last Expedition closes on 30 June 2013.

For more information see www.canterburymuseum.com

Christchurch parents will be celebrating tomorrow with the reopening of Discovery, Canterbury Museum’s natural history centre designed especially for children.

Discovery has been closed since April 2012, in order for earthquake strengthening works to the building to be completed. With the remedial works now finished, the Museum will reopen its Level 3 galleries including Discovery, Geology and the Bird Hall tomorrow – just in time for Anzac Day and the school holidays.

Museum Director Anthony Wright says he is pleased to be able to reopen Level 3 to the public.

“We’ve received so many enquiries from the public, particularly parents, about when Discovery may reopen, so I’m delighted to announce that it will reopen tomorrow,” he says.

“Our Discovery centre is an important part of the Museum experience. It’s a great family activity and offers children a place to learn about our natural history, have fun and interact with other children in a safe environment.”

Discovery at Canterbury Museum will open Thursday 25 April at 9am.

For more information see www.canterburymuseum.com or follow Canterbury Museum on Facebook.