By Ricky Matthew
Auckland – New Zealand’s premier Southeast Asian Food, Travel, Culture and Fashion Expo is back for its third year running. The Look East Southeast Asia Festival is a vibrant celebration of the rich and diverse cultures that make up Southeast Asia.
First introduced in 2003, this Southeast Asia Festival has provided a platform to promote understanding of New Zealand’s changing multicultural mosaic through a dynamic cultural celebration.
The Auckland Southeast Asia Festival is proudly presented by SM Publications and the official marketing partner of the event is a high-profile multicultural marketing agency – Include NZ.
This event is powered by Migrant News (New Zealand’s only multicultural newspaper, founded 31 years ago), Travel Galore (www.travelgalore.nz), the Asian Food Portal (www.halohalo.nz) and Filipino News (www.filipinonews.nz), with the support of a large number of community groups and business organisations.
The organisers recently presented the 126th Philippine Independence Day Commemoration at Auckland Showgrounds, which brought in over 15,000 visitors to celebrate Filipino culture. https://www.filipinonews.nz/featured/fiesta-pilipinas-comes-full-circle/
The Southeast Asia Festival on 28 September 2024 which featured the high-profile Malaysian Tourism stand and the ASEAN Committee stands and sponsored by Honda Newmarket attracted over 20,000 visitors.
Southeast Asia has always been an attractive destination for Kiwi tourists due to the tropical climate that starkly contrasts New Zealand’s, the unique culture of each country in the region and the gorgeous beaches and rainforests. And of course, the main attraction for a lot of people is the authentic street food.
Food fanatics are in luck. Next year’s festival will once again showcase rare Southeast Asian heritage dishes that are made exclusively for visitors. The open layout of the food stalls will provide a clear view of the traditional cooking techniques and endless ‘Instagrammable’ video opportunities.
However, this is much more than just a food festival.
The free event, to be held on March 8th, 2025, from 10 am to 5 pm at Auckland Showgrounds, Greenlane, promises to offer a close-up look at Southeast Asian cultural dance traditions, cultural fashion shows, musical talent and an expo featuring the vibrant businesses of Southeast Asia.
For businesses and representatives of the Southeast Asian countries, this is a once-a-year opportunity to get in front of locals and the Southeast Asian market.
Locals who are eager to immerse themselves in the unique culture of Southeast Asia will spend a day surrounded by a non-stop showcase of Southeast Asian Culture and Southeast Asians migrants can relive the nostalgia of home.
Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Brunei are among the countries to have their very own ‘mini pavilions’ at the festival. Locals can travel to each country and experience the unique cultures by visiting each pavilion.
Each country will have an opportunity to present the best of their cultural performances on the main stage, supported by the large LED screen.
Save the date and join the celebration: 8th March 2025. 10am to 5pm at Auckland Showgrounds, Greenlane.
Contact:
migrantnews@xtra.co.nz, info@include.co.nz
mobile: 0274958477, 0277888090
Website: lookeast.nz
Socials: Instagram: lookeast_nz, Facebook: Look East NZ
