Wellington hosts K-Festival celebrating Korean and Maori culture

The 2026 K-Festival Wellington, held on September 5 at the Michael Fowler Centre, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Seoul and Wellington through a fusion of Korean and Maori cultures.

Performances included traditional Korean dances by the Biseul Dance Company and Maori Haka and songs by the Hiwa Crew. A notable moment featured Wellington Hangul School students and the Maori group Ngāti Poneke singing the New Zealand folk song ‘Pokarekare Ana’ in both Korean and Maori.

In addition to cultural performances, the festival featured K-food, K-pop cover dances, and traditional Korean experiences such as Hanbok and folk painting. Alongside the festivities, the Democratic Peace Advisory Council New Zealand branches in Wellington and the South Island conducted a survey titled ‘One Million Voices, One Peaceful Korea’ to gather local perspectives on the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula.