Iumi Wan Festival to run alongside 54th PIF Meeting
By Lachlan Eddie
The Solomon Islands Government, through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, will host the Iumi Wan Festival from September 9-13 at the SINU Village in East Honiara, under the theme “United Heritage Bound by the Ocean.”
The festival will run alongside the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting, which will be held in Honiara from September 8-12, 2025.
Director of the Culture Division, Dennis Marita announced this at a press conference yesterday at the National Art Gallery,
“It’s a five-day festival and we are running it alongside the Pacific Islands Leaders’ Summit. The opening ceremony will be on the 9th and the closing will be on the 13th of September. We’ll be utilizing most of the cultural groups and performers from Honiara representing the provinces.”
“In terms of exhibitions, all nine provinces will have their huts there. Each province will have one hut designated to them for their artists, cultural producers, and handicraft makers,” he said.
He added that the committee has assigned someone to oversee the exhibitions.
Meanwhile, Marita also emphasized the importance of hosting this festival.
“The number one objective is to unify the country as one people. This festival is all about getting to understand and appreciate each other’s culture. That helps foster peaceful coexistence within Solomon Islands. Unity is the primary goal, and then there’s also national pride. That’s what this festival aims to achieve—national unity and national pride,” he said.
He added the festival will feature exhibitions, cultural performances, talk shows, conferences and discussions between artists and musicians, as well as programs for Ethno-Solomons.
“It gives artists the opportunity to come together, discuss, share ideas and even create new creation,” he further added.
Marita calls on the people of Solomon Islands to behave appropriately when attending the festival, as international delegates attending the PIF meeting will be visiting the village to learn about the rich culture of Solomon Islands.
SIBC News understands that this will be the second Iumi Wan Festival held in Honiara, with the first taking place in 2023 during the Pacific Games.
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