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How good was Polyfest 2023?
After four years of disruption, high schoolers all over Auckland finally got the Polyfest they had been waiting for.
It was estimated about 60,000 people attended Polyfest last week, where 8000 students from 181 cultural groups representing 55 schools performed traditional speech, song and dance.
It’s the first time in several years that the festival has gone ahead without a hitch, following cancellations due to the Christchurch terror attacks in 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
For most, it’s not about the win, but the chance to celebrate their culture and embrace their Pasifika heritage.
Manurewa High School’s Sarai Makara-Moreland, 16, was completely out of breath as she stepped off the Cook Islands stage following their high-energy performance.
She said it was a “real privilege” and “a blessing” to get on stage tell the audience: “Hey look, this is my culture. This is where I’m from.”
“The most important thing was we made it up there, and we performed as a team. We are going out, win or lose, as a team.”
Read more of our coverage at Stuff.co.nz, and tell us below - did you watch or compete at Polyfest? How did it go?
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Here's the riddle challenge for today: No Googling allowed!
What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
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Poll: Have you ever had a scary flight?
A plane flying from Christchurch to Wellington on Sunday had smoke billowing out of the engine and upon landing, passengers had to open the emergency exit and jump out. Have you had any scary flying experiences?
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58.3% Yes!
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41.7% No, it's always been smooth flying