The Marquesian Arts Festival

Te A’itua

The Marquesian archipelago is the most distant and emblematique archipelago of French Polynesia. The Marquesian people possess a culture that has always inspired artists from all around the world from the famous French singer Jacques Brel to American novelist Herman Melville.

This Marquesian culture is celebrated every four years during the Marquesian arts festival which takes place in the three most populated islands of the archipelago namely and Hiva Oa. In 2011, the island of Nuku Hiva was chosen for the 8th festival.

Since its first edition in 1986, the festival has always served to celebrate the Marquesian culture. During this event the emphasis is placed on various Polynesian arts like song, dance, tattoo art, traditional gastronomy and sculpture.

At the onset, the festival focused purely on the Marquesian culture then later opened up to celebrating other Polynesian cultures with visits from delegations from Tahiti, Hawaii, Samoa and Easter islands. Each ethnic group is represented during this festival to honour its culture and revel in the exchange.

The theme of this 8th Marquesian arts festival was Te A’itua meaning « the apprentice of knowledge » in Tahitian language. It represents the gathering of young Polynesian peoples celebrating their cultural heritage. To date, each yearly festival proves to be a fruitful endeavour.