Heiva i Tahiti

Heiva i Tahiti is held every year in Papeete, French Polynesia, and has brought together dance and singing troupes from across the archipelago since the late 19th century. The word heiva means gathering, and the festival combines traditional Tahitian dance (ori tahiti), chanting and drumming with ancestral sporting contests (tu'aro ma'ohi) such as javelin throwing and fruit-carrier races. Elaborate costumes and tightly judged troupe competitions have made it renowned across the Pacific.