ASB Polyfest Confirms 2026 Dates And Changes To Next Year’s Auckland’s Secondary School Cultural Competition

The Polyfest Trust has confirmed that next year’s ASB Polyfest will be held across two venues on two separate dates.

The first will be held at the Manukau Sports Bowl from Wednesday, 18th March to Saturday, 21 March 2026, and will feature ASB Polyfest stages from Diversity, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga.

The Māori stage will hold their performances from Monday, 30 March to Thursday, 2 April 2026, at Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau, providing better alignment over the coming years with events like Te Matatini.

New Polyfest Trust Chair and Principal of Papakura High School, Simon Craggs, says next year’s ASB Polyfest signifies a new phase as it prepares for another 50 years of Polyfest history.

“Holding the festival across two venues and a few weeks apart allows for growth across all cultural stages over the coming years. It also helps to relieve the pressure on the Manukau Sports Bowl venue which has been the home of ASB Polyfest since 1996,” Craggs says.

“We want to reassure our supporters that Polyfest will continue its focus on unity between cultures, especially our Māori and Pacific whānau, as was intended by our founders 50 years ago. This is the next step in the event’s evolution and will allow more rangatahi to showcase their culture on the Polyfest stages.”

Events Director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu says plans are underway with a focus on securing sponsorship and getting online platforms ready to open for 2026 registrations.

Schools and stalls registrations are expected to open later this month.

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