Hawaii in homestretch to host FestPAC in June

Hawaii is finalizing plans to host delegations this summer from 28 Pacific island nations at the 13th annual festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, or FestPAC—the state’s most important international meeting since the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders summit and the 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress.

FestPAC, touted as the world’s largest celebration of Indigenous Pacific Islanders, will convene June 6-16 in Hawaii and feature more than 50 programs and events. Hawaii was slated to hold the event in 2020, but the dates were moved to give participants time to recover from the pandemic’s economic and social impacts. The festival was last held in 2016 in Guam.

“This is the first time that Hawaii will host FestPAC in the event’s more than 50-year history, and we are finally in the homestretch, “ Aaron J. Sala, 13th FestPAC festival director, said.

“FestPac is the foremost platform for the celebration and perpetuation of the Pacific arts and culture, “ Sala said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—[a ] unique opportunity for Hawaii to showcase our cultural heritage with our broader Pacific ohana, while also fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Pacific’s collective identity.”

Sala said the festival is expected to attract 100, 000 local and visitor attendees. With each nation’s minister of culture allowed to bring up to 100 delegates, Sala said the count of delegates is approaching 2, 000, and will include people who specialize in cultural practices ranging from carving to weaving, singing, dancing, kapa making, fiber artistry, visual artistry and more.

He said participants are expected to come from American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and Taiwan.

“Ho ‘oulu Lahui : Regenerating Oceania “ will serve as the theme of FestPAC Hawai ‘i 2024, honoring the traditions of FestPAC while focusing on finding solutions to critical issues facing the Pacific region, from rising sea levels to climate change, sustainability, the death of coral reefs and widening social inequities.

The Hawai ‘i Convention Center will serve as FestPAC’s primary venue and will host the event’s Festival Village and Marketplace. Center officials said they have partnered with Architects Hawaii Ltd. to design a space that “honors and celebrates the diverse cultures of the Pacific, with an eye to sustainability and resiliency.”

The center also will host other festival events, including a film festival, a fashion gala and show, literary arts, theater shows, the Youth Ambassador Program and the Indigenous Philosophers Conference.

Another celebrated festival tradition—the Wa ‘a Arrival, or canoe ceremony—will be held June 5, the day before the official start of the festival and opening ceremony on June 6. The village will open on June 7, and an ecumenical service is planned for June 9.

Sala said some festival delegations also have asked for an opportunity to pay their respects regarding Maui, which is still recovering from the deadly Aug. 8 wildfires.

The Hawai ‘i Convention Center, the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Bishop Museum will host most of the festival’s primary events. Supplementary festival venues include the Polynesian Cultural Center, Outrigger Waikiki, Royal Hawaiian Center, Kuhio Beach Hula Mound, Kapiolani Bandstand, Palama Settlement, University of Hawaii West Oahu campus and Windward Community College.

Hosting FestPAC comes with a cost. Sala said the FestPAC commission approved a $20.3 million budget, of which $12.5 million has been raised.

FestPAC was launched in 1972 to halt the erosion of traditional practices through ongoing cultural exchange.