Record-High Filipino Population Prompts Biggest-Ever Event

Auckland – For the last two and a half decades, Fiesta Pilipinas has provided a platform to promote understanding of New Zealand’s Filipino population through a dynamic cultural celebration.

With Filipinos reaching record-high levels, the Fiesta Pilipinas event has been upscaled in 2024.

This year's event is expected to be pumping, as New Zealand received over 33,000 Filipino migrants in 2023 (Stats NZ). That makes the Philippines the second-largest group for migrant arrivals and the third-biggest Asian ethnic group in the country.

Fiesta Pilipinas is proudly presented by Travel Galore (www.travelgalore.nz), the Asian Food Portal (www.halohalo.nz), Migrant News (www.migrantnews.nz) and Filipino News (www.filipinonews.nz).

The free event to be held on June 8, 2024, from 10 am to 4 pm at Hall 6, Auckland Showgrounds, Green Lane Road, promises to offer a close-up look at Filipino cultural dance traditions, five cultural fashion shows, musical talent and a taste of its authentic street food.

The festival is sponsored by Philippine Airlines, providing a special focus on Philippine travel, culture and cuisine.

“An event commemorating Philippine Independence Day can help reignite patriotism and promote the Filipino culture to locals,” says Sheila Mariano, the publisher of Filipino News.

“The cultural festival and trade show has progressed over the years. It first became a Philippine Independence Day event, held annually. Later, the Filipino Kiwi Hero Awards and the first ever Filipino cultural pageant featuring both males and females were incorporated into the event as well,” explains Mel Fernandez from Filipino News.

“The event was very big pre-COVID, but during the COVID period, we downsized. Then in 2022, it became a formal sit-down dinner event. This year, however, due to a revival of demand for events and a growing Filipino population, we are bringing back a lot of different aspects like the Hero Awards and 5 cultural pageants. The Filipino Kiwi Music Awards will also make an appearance.”

“When we began Fiesta Pilipinas, there were around 20,000 Filipinos in New Zealand. Now the number exceeds 100,000. That’s why the scale of our Fiesta this year has to match the size of the population. Responding to the need for expansion, we have gone back to where it all began at the Auckland Showgrounds.”

Past iterations of the event have always been community and culture-focused and Mel says that this year’s event will not stray away from that.

“It is important now more than ever for ethnic youth to experience the richness of their cultures, and for locals to immerse themselves in the diversity of today’s New Zealand,” he says.

As the event moves to its biggest-ever format, the organisers pledge to bring even more culturally diverse festivals, exhibitions and conferences to Auckland.

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