200,000 people expected to Pasifka Festival so don't be late

What you need to know

What: Pasifika Festival.

Where and when?: Tonight (opening concert 7.30pm-9.30pm, Western Springs Stadium) and tomorrow (Western Springs Lakeside and Stadium) 10am-5pm.

What does it cost? Admission is free. Parking tonight is $2.

What's going on?

Tonight's concert is a snapshot of the festival's hottest performers.

The lineup includes The Freestyle, Nesian Mystic, Adeaze, Sara-Jane Auva'a, Te Riri O te O Dance Group, Khyber Pass Fijian Methodist Choir, Samoan fire-dancers and more.

Tomorrow five different stages provide all day entertainment, including, on the children's stage, Pasifika Idol, for the 10 finalists aged 9 to 15.

Sport and Recreation New Zealand are the sponsors of eight cultural villages at the festival, and encourage the Push Play activities.

The villages offer workshops, food and craft stalls and interactive and cultural displays.

The Niu Sila village provides an introduction to Government and tertiary institutions, craft, food and a dance-off.

There are more than 390 stalls in the festival, so you need never go hungry, thirsty, ignorant or craftless.


How long has the festival been going?

This is No 14. The Pasifika Festival is the largest free community event of its kind in the world.

Last year over 200,000 people attended, so expect a crowd.


What is the weather going to do?

It's looking pretty good. A bit of cloud tonight, mainly fine tomorrow apart from the possibility of a few early showers.


What else do I need to know?

Listen to Newstalk ZB, Radio 531pi, Mai FM, Niu FM or Flava 96one for cancellation notices. There is no rain date for the event, so it will only be cancelled if the weather is really rotten.

Try and use public transport. If past years are anything to go by, the traffic tailbacks on the Northwestern Motorway are monumental.

Free programmes and site maps are available from the information tents or blue T-shirted volunteers.

Use a backpack for the littlies instead of a pushchair or pram.

Signage in the park is high up on poles and signposts.

Take water, sunhats and sunscreen.

Keep left on bridges and footpaths.

Arrive early, do a round of the stalls and then chill out in front of the stage of your choice.


How do I get there?

Bus: From the south or east, catch a normal scheduled bus to Newmarket. Special Stagecoach buses will leave from 277 Broadway to Western Springs every 15 minutes from 9.30am-1.30pm, returning 1.30pm-5.30pm.

From the north, east and central city, catch a regular bus service from stops D1 (Ritchies), D3 (Urban Express) or D8 (Stagecoach) and ask for the Western Springs stop.

From the west, any regular scheduled service to Downtown will drop you at Western Springs.

Train: Catch a train to New Lynn or Britomart and then bus to Western Springs.

Car: If you must drive, there is free parking at Unitec and shuttle buses every 15 minutes from 9.30am-5.30pm to Western Springs.