Ten-thousand secondary school students are preparing to take the stage in Auckland for the Maori and Pacific Island cultural festival.
The four-day Polyfest at the Manukau Sports Bowl features more than 220 groups from 62 schools showcasing their own interpretation of culture through song, speech and dance.
There will be a stage for Maori, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoan and Tongan acts, and a diversity stage.
Event director Theresa Howard says the key thing is that the students learn about who they are, especially their culture and background, and the festival is a great chance for family and parents to pass that down to those young ones.
This year's Polyfest is expected to attract more than 80,000 spectators.
