TATOU FESTIVAL
October 16-18, 2026
Five Angels Theater NYC
789 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10036
Celebrate with us
TATOU (tah-tow) FESTIVAL, created by Te Ao Mana, is NYC’s Moana Nui (Pacific Island) festival. An international cultural gathering created by and for Pacific Islanders, where all are welcome to respectfully celebrate and immerse in our rich traditions and experience artistic innovation. Our gathering includes captivating performances, a selection of master classes, and cultural workshops, an Ori Tahiti (Tahitian Dance) competition, a fashion exhibition, curated film screenings, and a Pacific Island marketplace. Haere Mai, join us for this highly anticipated event!
Making history together!
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![Theater workshop with participants in a discussion circle, in a room with green decorated curtains.]()
Moana Nui Workshops
Gain first hand experience from experts in our community who have fine tuned their craft. Siva Samoa, Taualunga, Vivo, Weaving, Ukulele, Drumming, etc.
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![Group of dancers in black costumes performing on stage with dramatic lighting.]()
Ori Tahiti Competition
Experience the energy of Tahitian dance as dancers from around the globe showcase their skills and talents competing for top placement and coveted prizes in solo, duet, and group categories.
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Film Screenings
Dive into the world of Ta’ata Moana Nui (Pacific Islanders) through up close cinematic creations addressing crucial cultural topics, and hearing from creators and filmmakers.
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![Group of dancers performing with white fabric on stage under green lighting.]()
Engaging Performances
Highlighting accomplished Pacific Islander performers in traditional and contemporary forms with trailblazing creations, paving the way for the next wave of Moana Nui creatives.
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Protocols & Ceremony
Moanan ceremonies are very rare in NYC. Attendees will gain insight into deeper ancestral practices at the root of our heritage.
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![Woman in green floral off-shoulder dress with shell necklace, outdoors with greenery.]()
Pacific Island Market
In New York City, this is the place to find authentic Polynesian keepsakes, gifts, and rare works by our amazing artists and artisans.
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![Group of dancers practicing in a theater with concrete walls and overhead lighting.]()
Master Classes
For more in depth training, attendees hone their technique, learn complex choreography, enhance their expressiveness, and connection to cultural practices.
Event Schedule
Event Schedule
Friday, Oct 16, 2026 — 1:30 PM
Ori Tahiti Creation Master Class
This rare master class is co-led by our jury members. Students will work with our experts from Tahiti in developing and creating new work from concept to completion. Take advantage of this opportunity to develop your creative skills with masters of the craft.
Friday, Oct 16, 2026 — 4:00 PM
Vivo (Tahitian Nose Flute) Workshop
One of the earliest instruments found in our ancestry is the vivo, (Tahitian nose flute). Its vibrations and melodies communicate with us on a different level. Attendees will learn how vivo are made, tuned, and played and will have ample opportunity to learn practice.
Participants will take home their very own vivo, handcrafted by Aremistic.
Friday, Oct 16, 2026 — 6:00 PM
Opening Ceremony
A cross-cultural gathering with sharing of protocols, chants, and traditional practices to welcome everyone, connect and ground ourselves, set intentions, and call forth our ancestors to celebrate with us.
Evening Showcase
Friday, Oct 16, 2026 — 6:30 PM
Treat yourself to special evening showcase with performances by Te Ao Mana and special guests, including: Hawaiian composer, producer, drag artist, and piano virtuoso, TJ Keanu Tario, and Tahitian Singer/Songwriter/Producer Aremistic, blending traditional melodies and sounds with reggae, hip-hop, and rock.
Friday, Oct 16, 2026 — 7:30 PM
Nā Akua Vahine Fashion Exhibition
Be transported into the etherial world of Hawaii-born designer, Pono Mikael, with his chronological mythology line exploring artistry, craftsmanship, nature, and the divine feminine.
The evening ends with a mix & mingle in the lobby.
Saturday, Oct 17, 2026 — 10:00 AM
Patterns of the Pacific Art exhibit And Pacific Island Market Opens
Browse the ancestrally rooted, contemporary artwork by up and coming Samoan/Maori artist, Talavou (TVOU) Fitisemanu.
Shop for unique Moana Nui gifts from our artisan and vendor marketplace.
Saturday, Oct 17, 2026 — 11:00 AM
Ori Tahiti Competition
Engage with a global roster of Ori Tahiti (Tahitian Dance) groups, duets, and soloists from around the world as they come together to celebrate the art, culture, and passion of ‘Ori Tahiti in this super charged, high octane, international competitive dance contest.
Saturday, Oct 17, 2026 — 6:00 PM
Evening Showcase, Awards Ceremony, Pa’ina
Join us in the lobby for cocktails as the party continues with more mana-filled performances, including some of our local performing groups and Te Ao Mana dance school classes.
Celebrate the winners of the Ori Tahiti Competition and witness the battle for Tatou Festival’s Ori Tahiti Championship ‘Best Dancer’ title.
Finish off the night dancing at the pa’ina!
Patterns of the Pacific Art exhibit And Pacific Island Market Opens
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026 — 10:00 AM
Browse the ancestrally rooted, contemporary artwork by up and coming Samoan/Maori artist, Talavou (TVOU) Fitisemanu.
Shop for unique Moana Nui gifts from our artisan and vendor marketplace.
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026 — 10:00 AM
Moana Nui Workshops - Haka, Waiata, and Poi
Delve deeper into traditional cultural practices of the Pacific Islands with expert practitioners, educators, and activists from the islands of the Great Pacific Ocean that will guide you through an immersive, informative, and transformative experience.
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026 — 12:00 pM
Moana Nui Workshops - Hula, Mele, Oli
Delve deeper into traditional cultural practices of the Pacific Islands with expert practitioners, educators, and activists from the islands of the Great Pacific Ocean that will guide you through an immersive, informative, and transformative experience.
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026 — 2:00 pM
Film Screening — Patutiki: The Guardians of the Marquesan Tattoo
Over the centuries, the practice of tattooing has developed into a unique vocabulary and art that has its roots in Marquesan culture and stories, a way of seeing the world and their place in it that encapsulates the memories and history of these islands.
Film Screening — Justice-Advancing Architecture
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026 — 3:30 pM
The justice-advancing architecture tour, led by the Hawai'i Artist Sean Connelly dismantling architecture, confronts the material reality of the United States, where modern architecture hides the illegal US occupation of Hawai‘i (1898-present) in plain sight with a government building built directly adjacent to what it was designed to obscure, the ‘Iolani Palace, an advanced yet overlooked example of indigenous Hawaiian modern architecture that survives.
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026 — 4:00 pM
Film Screening — Ea [Sovereign]
Ea [Sovereign] is a feature length documentary about Keʻeaumoku Kapu, a Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) community leader, activist, and caretaker of Nā ʻAikāne o Maui Cultural Center in Lahaina, Maui. Through resonant landscapes and multimedia expressions of indigenous presence, the film focuses on Kapu’s nearly 20-year battle, in and out of the U.S. court system, to reclaim ancestral kuleana land in Kauaʻula valley on the northwest coast of the island of Maui. Ea is a testament to the resilience of one family, whose efforts serve as a source of guidance for their community as well as future generations pursuing land and water rights across the Hawaiian archipelago.
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026 — 5:10 pM
Q & A / Wala’au with the Artists, Festival Closing
Enjoy an enriching conversation with dedicated time and space for learning as the artists share more about the themes, their processes, and the stories and lives of those of whom their films highlight.
The event will close with song and light refreshments.
Schedule is subject to change. Please refer back here often for updates.
Mahalo and enjoy the festival!
Creating this epic community event requires a lot of work, energy, organizational skill, flexibility, patience, people, good communication, and love. We are so thankful for our committee, their dedication, and determination. Our team logs countless volunteer hours to program this fantastic, memorable event. TATOU FESTIVAL is anxiously anticipated each year and we are thrilled to see it grow continually. We work tirelessly to bring together the best of Moana Nui here in New York City.
Our Hui
Anthony
Production
Kaina
Artist Relations
Emily
Event Staff
Kekaulana
Design/Marketing
Chad
Photography
Madilyne
Social Media
Mariette
Engagement
Join Our Team
New York City’s first
Pacific Island Festival
Tatou Festival, formerly Heiva Pasifika NYC, created by Te Ao Mana, is NYC’s first and foremost Ta’ata Moana Nui (Pacific Islander) festival and Ori Tahiti competition. Over 40,000 Pacific Islanders live in New York, yet investment in this community is overlooked. Some of the values that underlie Polynesian cultures, mana, family, community, and reverence for and a connection to nature, a commitment to protecting our natural resources, can be celebrated by everyone.
The festival will connect New York City and surrounding areas to Moana Nui artisans and crafters, drummers, musicians, dancers, orators, performance troupes, cultural specialists, creators and professionals. Polynesians are essentially an untapped wellspring of living knowledge. It is our desire to further enrich the city’s cultural landscape with our unique event. People of all ages are welcome. The focus is on creating an immersive experience and allowing participants to learn about a culture typically not represented on a large scale in NYC.
Surfacing the values and spiritual foundation of Polynesian Culture will enrich the fabric of New York City. Participants will walk away with a deeper sense of self and their connection to nature, their surroundings, and the community in which they live. They will gain a vivid working knowledge of the featured cultures. A stronger sense of community will be formed as festival attendees engage in the planned activities. Members of the Polynesian community will gain a larger sense of identity and visibility in New York City and be afforded opportunities to expand their creativity.
“I felt seen. As soon as I walked in, I saw people that looked like me in New York City. I was overcome with pride and joy. I found a community, and felt so welcomed by everyone.”
“It was so regal!”
“It was polished and merged the spirit of NYC with class. They are making history with this annual event, an attendance must!”
“This is going to be huge! … the president of Tahiti/French Polynesia is here…look at all the famous dancers who are here.”
“We finally have a home here in NYC where we can all come together!”
[In tears] “I never thought I would be able to see and feel the drums from my home here in New york City”.
“The evolution of Te Ao Mana’s performance has been amazing to watch over the years. This venue, with projections during the walking rocks performance created a seamless, integrated, cohesive performance experience.”
“Of all the heivas i’ve been to, this has been the most smooth running and organized.”