Pacific Dance Festival 2025 Proves Community Demand & Delivers On Creative NZ's Pacific Arts Strategy
This year's festival wasn't just about box-office success, though sell-out shows and full houses hearten us. It was about demonstrating that, when invested in thoughtfully and delivered with integrity, Pacific arts continue to matter — deeply — to our people.
Audiences returned not just to be entertained, but to feel seen, heard, and moved. From free workshops to weekend gallery activations, from youth-led productions to intergenerational casts, the festival met people where they are — on their terms, in their language, through their own lens.
We are grateful and recognise our longstanding partnerships with Māngere Arts Centre - Ngā Tohu o Uenuku and Te Pou Theatre in Henderson, whose leadership and location play a vital role in ensuring the arts remain accessible, local, and culturally grounded. These strategically positioned venues are more than just stages; they are anchors within their communities, enabling whānau and wider audiences to access and participate in Pacific storytelling close to home.
The diversity of shows in this year's programme reflects the communities we serve: from Stories About Us with Phab Pasifika — highlighting inclusive, youth-led stories — to the lively school matinee Shapes in the Clouds, which welcomed hundreds of tamariki into the world of dance, and the passionate, feminist retelling of Pele: The Goddess of Fire. Each show brought something special and meaningful.
Audience surveys confirm what we observed firsthand: families want to see more — especially content they can enjoy together. Intergenerational audiences expressed great appreciation for the chance to share Pacific cultural stories outside formal education systems that often omit or marginalise these narratives.
Festival Director Iosefa Enari expressed gratitude to everyone who attended, spread the word, supported the Kaupapa, or brought their families. They emphasised that the arts are not a luxury but a vital part of life, signifying a heartbeat that continues to thrive within our communities.
A Snapshot of Festival Impact
Across five weeks, the festival connected with many New Zealanders in theatres, galleries, public spaces, and online, featuring one of the most diverse and intergenerational Pacific casts in our history. Live shows demonstrated strong engagement, with MOANA — a flagship, family-friendly, large ensemble work — selling out a week before its opening. Our data confirms what many have long known: when the right show is programmed, with the correct scale, story, and values, audiences turn out.
Meanwhile, more than 1,300 people engaged with our free activations, including dance pop-ups in the Auckland Art Gallery foyer, a Sunday event at the Auckland Museum, and a short film activation showcasing Pacific dance on screen. These events acted as crucial access points, bringing Pacific dance to new and non-traditional audiences, and tracking direct conversions into ticket buyers and new followers.
On social media, the numbers tell a powerful story:
417,000+ people reached,
10,138 direct clicks to our ticketing platform,
and over 80 user-generated posts from attendees tagging their experience.
Our Approach: Values in Practice
Pacific Dance NZ's approach to programming and community engagement remains shaped by a strong commitment to Pacific values, intergenerational exchange, and sector-wide collaboration. These values guided every aspect of the 2025 Festival, from artist support to venue partnerships and audience development.
Throughout this year's festival, we:
· Empowered people and communities, ensuring participation from youth, elders, and artists at all stages of their creative journeys. Audiences of all ages came together, affirming the strength of Pacific identity on stage.
· Strengthened capability and future leadership by mentoring emerging choreographers and producers, and creating spaces where community workshops led to real-world opportunities.
· Built bridges across ecosystems, through long-term partnerships with Auckland Museum, Auckland Art Gallery, Toi o Tamaki, 275 Times, Pacific Media Network and Sunpix. These collaborations helped deepen reach and trust.
· Connected globally, welcoming guest artist Thomas E. Kelly of KARUL Project from Queensland, Australia — a Ni-Van Aboriginal storyteller — opened up a new dimension of cross-regional exchange from Queensland and extended our digital footprint across the Pacific diaspora.
Our programme is not only a celebration of Pacific dance but a strategic and intentional response to the aspirations of our people, ensuring that the art we present reflects the realities, hopes, and richness of our communities.
Strategic Impact and Return on Investment
In a funding environment that increasingly demands proof of value, the Pacific Dance Festival 2025 provided both complex data and a human story to justify public and partner investment.
The campaign generated significant direct tracked revenue, alongside thousands more in indirect value through awareness, audience development, and content reach."
Our digital campaigns outperformed sector benchmarks, achieving CTR rates above 2.4%, with engagement peaking during show weeks.
Radio advertising, social content, PR hits, and free activations worked in tandem to build both frequency and cultural trust, especially among communities not always reached by mainstream marketing.
'We've learned over the years that success isn't about doing more — it's about doing it right,' says Enari .'We now know how to match story, location, cast, price, and platform to reach our audience where they are. The data confirms it. The people confirm it. It's time to keep going.'
Looking Ahead
Pacific Dance NZ has heard the call from our community: to keep telling our stories, to keep growing our talent, and to ensure the arts feel like home for everyone.
The 2025 festival confirms that Pacific-led creative leadership is not only culturally vital but also economically viable, socially impactful, and strategically aligned with national goals.
We invite our government leaders, local councils, and community partners to continue walking with us as we build on this momentum.
Because when we invest in Pacific arts, we invest in identity, wellbeing, jobs, joy, and future generations.
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