It's the largest festival of its kind in the world.
Schools from all over Auckland have headed to Manukau for Polyfest.
Let's cross live over to our reporter Te Okiwa McLean
who's on standby at the Manukau Sports Bowl.
Te Okiwa, tena koe.
Tena koe.
As you can see,
behind me is Te Uamairanga, which is made up of students
from Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Kotuku
and Te Wharekura o Nga Maungarongo.
12 teams from Pool C have taken to the stage today.
This morning a powhiri was held by the hosting schools
for this year's competition.
The challenge has been laid...
...to those being welcomed
to the 43rd anniversary of the ASB Polyfest.
This year is the biggest Polyfest ever,
and that's because of the amount of schools
that have entered the competition.
James Cook High School and Kia Aroha College
are the schools hosting the Maori stage this year -
and their thoughts go back to their pou Hori Pomana.
I reflect on the past, to the likes of Hori and Halley -
they were both stalwarts of this event.
So the schools have come together again
(in their honour).
James Cook has entered four groups this year
and the loss of kapa haka icon Damon Heke
is at the forefront of their minds.
And so it should be.
The majority of his students attend James Cook.
He nurtured them,
he raised them within the kapa haka world.
So it's their idea to compose a song in tribute of him,
and I support them in that.
There are 69 schools,
242 groups and over 10,000 students that will take to the stage
and the Minister for Pacific Peoples is very pleased.
This is the biggest Polynesian festival in the world
and the Youth Minister had this to say
to the organisers of Polyfest.
I know that a new development will be built here
so the big question is what will happen to the festival?
Will it be moved elsewhere?
What will that mean for future students?
And the organisers for the Maori stage say that
despite the competitive aspect
it's all about coming together.
Our language is being spoken, it's being tried;
people are watching.
Maori are able to reconnect with each other.
You can see the masses here.
By the looks of things
it's going to be an exciting competition ahead.
Te Okiwa, what are the plans for tomorrow?
Harata, Northcote
will kick things off with kapa haka at 8am tomorrow,
followed by all the other kapa in Pool C.
But who knows who'll take it out?
Te Okiwa, the school on stage performing now
is my daugther's school,
but I digress!
You're a bit of a kapa haka enthusiast,
what school do you think will take it out?
For me, based on watching today's performances from the third pool -
this group behind me, Te Uamairangi-
check them out!
They're going hard at it on stage,
confident in what they're doing up there.
So I think there's no better kapa so far than this one, Harata.
Thank you, Te Okiwa, for your report from Manukau.