WATCH: The incredible fire knife performances from NZ's Siva Afi festival

Over the weekend, Aotearoa’s annual international Siva Afi Festival lit up Tāmaki Makaurau, showing off some of the world’s best fire knife performances on stage.

The free event returned to Māngere Arts Centre - Ngā Tohu o Uenuku, where some of the world’s best Siva Afi (Samoan fire knife) performers proved their skills with rhythmic drumming, lightning-fast spins, and flames flying across the stage.

Competitors travelled in from Aotearoa, Samoa, Tahiti, Australia, and the United States, with performers as young as five years old performing incredible routines using the traditional nifo oti - a Samoan hooked weapon and tool.

Siva Afi is a centuries-old Samoan performance tradition, blending storytelling, discipline and serious physical ability - all while spinning a blade that’s literally on fire.

Over the past seven years, the festival has grown into a major cultural platform in Aotearoa, especially for young Pacific performers.

“Siva Afi Festival is more than a competition - it is a gathering place,” Festival Director Amo Leriko said.

“It builds confidence, discipline and identity in our young people, while celebrating Pacific excellence and heritage on a national stage.”

And if you’ve ever seen the fire fly across the stage, you’ll know it’s something pretty special to watch.

But despite the unreal talent and standout performances, the future of the festival isn’t guaranteed.

It costs around $80,000 a year to run the free community event - that’s to cover EVERYTHING from staging, securing the venue, all the performers and the production crew needed to pull off the incredible two-day show.

While funding made this year’s festival possible, organisers say 2026 could be the last unless more support fires through.

“This festival creates opportunities, strengthens cultural pride and keeps tradition alive,” Leriko said.

“Without committed financial backing from sponsors, philanthropic funders and the wider community, we risk losing this platform for our young people.”

And after seeing all the talent that took the stage this year, this isn’t something we should let slip away.

We need to see what 2027 will bring.