Mana Pacific All In At Pasifika Fusion 2026

Pasifika Fusion 2026 once again brought together Pacific communities from across Manawatū, Horowhenua, Taranaki, Whanganui, and Wairarapa in a vibrant celebration of culture, identity, and excellence. With more than 600 students representing 18 secondary schools, the festival remains one of the largest Pacific youth events in the region and an important platform for showcasing Pacific talent, leadership, and achievement.

Guided by the 2026 theme, Old Ways, New Waves, students explored the importance of intergenerational connections and the sharing of cultural knowledge, values, and traditions between young people, elders, and the wider aiga and famili. The theme highlighted the strength of Pacific communities and the role each generation plays in carrying culture forward while embracing new opportunities.

Students competed and performed across a wide range of categories, including cultural performance, speeches, essays, poetry, debating, science, visual arts, cinematography, drama, wearable arts, and talent competitions. Together, these events showcased the creativity, confidence, academic excellence, and leadership potential of Pacific young people from across the lower North Island.

For Mana Pacific, supporting opportunities such as Pasifika Fusion aligns closely with their commitment to strengthening Pacific communities, nurturing future leaders, and celebrating Pacific cultures, languages and identities. The festival provides a unique opportunity for young people to express who they are, connect with their heritage, and be recognised for their achievements.

Supporting Pasifika Fusion

Mana Pacific team members contributed their time, skills, and experience across a variety of volunteer and leadership roles throughout the festival.

Polu Samuelu served as MC for the Samoan Speech competition and as a marker for the Senior Essay category, while Daniel Taylor supported the Junior Essay competition. Aburi Kusilifu contributed as a Poetry Judge, helping recognise and celebrate the creativity and storytelling talents of participating students. This year, the Poetry category attracted an impressive 115 entries, with students demonstrating thoughtful and insightful interpretations of the festival theme.

Reflecting on her experience, Aburi was inspired by the depth of understanding and creativity demonstrated by the students.

"The writings of these poems brought about a sense of awe, conveying in-depth understanding, thoughtfulness, and insights in relation to the theme."

In addition to judging poetry, Aburi also served as a judge for the Solomon Islands Pidgin Speech category. While only two contestants entered the category, she was inspired by the opportunity to witness young people confidently speaking in their heritage languages and expressing pride in their identity.

"Although I did not understand what they were saying, their facial expressions, hand gestures, and variation of tone enabled me to appreciate the effort each one put in to deliver their speeches."

As a member of the Pasifika Fusion committee, Prof Tracie Mafile'o played a significant role in the planning and delivery of the event. She coordinated the Essay category, assisted with the English Speech competition, served as a Guest of Honour delivering a short address to participants, and supported the presentation of awards.

Taupo Tani served as a Tuvalu Speech Judge and provided valuable stage support for the Talent category, while Melissa Etuale volunteered in administration, supporting both the Samoan and English Speech competitions.

Together, the contributions of Mana Pacific staff reflected a shared commitment to supporting Pacific youth and helping create positive opportunities for students to learn, grow, and succeed.

More Than Volunteers

For some Mana Pacific team members, their involvement extended beyond their official volunteer roles. Polu Samuelu, Taupo Tani, and Prof Tracie Mafile'o were also proud parents of young people participating in Pasifika Fusion, giving them a unique perspective on the dedication, preparation, and creativity required from students and their families.

For Polu, much of her contribution took place behind the scenes, supporting her children in preparing for their various categories. One memorable project involved helping her son and daughter create a Wearable Arts costume. To bring the design to life, she reached out to family, friends, church members, and former Shannon School teachers to help source pāua shells for the garment.

Reflecting on the experience, Polu shared: 

"It was a great reminder of how our wider community always comes together to support our young people. Some of the people who came through with the pāua shells were older Shannon school teachers, old friends that I hadn't seen for a while, and a few church members. Seeing everyone's generosity contribute to the final dress look made it even more special."

Her experience highlighted the collective effort that often sits behind student success and reflected the spirit of Old Ways, New Waves, where connections, knowledge, and support continue to flow across generations.

One of Polu's proudest moments was watching her children take to the stage with confidence. She spoke proudly of their fire knife performance in the Talent category and of her daughter Samoana's English speech, which honoured the sacrifices and achievements of previous generations and acknowledged the importance of family in shaping future leaders.

Reflecting on the deeper significance of the festival, Polu said:

"Pasifika Fusion is a space where the old ways meet the new waves. It cultivates wisdom that our ancestors carried and now flows into the dreams of our young people. It reminds us that every generation has an obligation to carry our stories forward for those who have yet to come."

Her reflection capture the essence of the festival theme, highlighting how Pasifika Fusion creates opportunities for cultural knowledge, language, values, and stories to be shared across generations while empowering young people to embrace the future with confidence and pride.

Experiencing the festival both as volunteers and parents reinforced the importance of creating spaces where Pacific young people can celebrate their culture, build confidence, and showcase their talents. It also highlighted the significant role families, schools, and communities play in supporting student success.

A Celebration of Community

The success of Pasifika Fusion is made possible through the collective efforts of students, families, teachers, volunteers, organisers, sponsors, and community partners who work tirelessly behind the scenes.

Their commitment creates opportunities for Pacific young people to strengthen their cultural identity, share their stories, and pursue excellence in a supportive environment. The festival continues to demonstrate the power of community collaboration and the importance of investing in the aspirations of Pacific youth.

Reflecting on the festival as a whole, Aburi noted that three themes stood out throught her experience:

"God, Culture, and Identity woven together brought out the uniqueness of all the different categories. It was a great experience indeed."

These reflections echo what many participants, families, and volunteers experienced throughout the festival—a celebration of identity, belonging, culture and excellence. Through every performance, speech, artwork, and story shared, Pasifika Fusion continues to strengthen connections between generations and create opportunities for Pacific young people to thrive.

Mana Pacific is proud to stand alongside the many individuals and organisations who contribute to the success of Pasifika Fusion and remains committed to supporting opportunities that strengthen culture, build connection, and empower Pacific young people to thrive.

Related Links

• Pasifika Fusion Official Website
  Learn more about Pasifika Fusion 2026, including the theme Old Ways, New Waves, programme information, participating schools, and festival activities.

• Old Ways Meet the New Waves (Manawatū Standard, July 2026)
  Coverage of Pasifika Fusion 2026 and the significance of the festival theme across participating Pacific communities.

• Old Ways, New Waves Inspiring Pacific Students to Lead with Pride (Matavai, Issue 15, July 2026)
  A feature highlighting how Pasifika Fusion empowers Pacific students to celebrate culture, identity, and leadership.

• Old Ways Meet the New Waves at Pasifika Fusion Festival (The Post, July 2026)
  News coverage exploring the festival's impact on Pacific youth and the wider community.

• Pasifika Fusion Linktree
  Access Pasifika Fusion's official social media channels, updates, resources, and event information.

• Pasifika Fusion Facebook Page
  Follow Pasifika Fusion for photos, event highlights, announcements, and community updates.

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