The crowd at last year's Polyfest. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Tiana Haxton
This article has been corrected to accurately reflect the government's funding promise and delivery.
Polyfest organisers are scaling back next year's event and blaming the government for not fronting up more cash.
Next year is the 50th anniversary of the Auckland cultural festival - a calendar event celebrating Māori and Pacific Island nations.
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti promised there would be a $5000 funding increase in 2025, bringing the government's total contribution to $60,000.
Polyfest Trust chair Steven Hargreaves confirmed this funding boost had come through, but said it was not material to what was now a multi-million dollar event to run.
"Polyfest is such a fantastic event . When I've been talking to sponsors and people within government about funding the event, I'm not sure they quite catch on what the event delivers for youth, academic achievement and school attendance.
"I think would be a really easy win for the government to say: 'We're contributing to Pacific youth'. This is a really positive event that can deliver so much in terms of social benefit and they're not not seeing that - they're seeing it as a cost, rather than an investment in youth development."
Performers at this year's event. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Tiana Haxton
Hargreaves said the trust was grateful for its regular, private sponsors, saying ASB "had come through big time", but times were tight and the festival was relying on the central government for more money for its 50th celebrations.
"We're probably in the same position we've been in for a few years now, where costs are escalating and it's getting harder and harder to source sponsorship.
"The tightening budget from the government has really hit us quite hard. They've sort of stopped spending on almost everything and really pared back what we had relied on previously to run the festival."
Hargreaves said those attending the 2025 event could expect to see five stages, not the usual six.
