BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) has announced the return of the National Panpipe Festival (NATPAN) after several years of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Pacific Games preparations.
Director of Culture Division in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Chair of NATPAN Dennis Marita made the announcement during a media briefing yesterday.
Mr Marita confirmed that the festival will take place from July 1st to 5th 2026, in Honiara.
He said that the National Panpipe Festival was first launched in 2017 and held again in 2019 before activities were halted.
“We were supposed to host the festival again in 2021, but COVID-19 affected many activities in the country,” he said.
He added that the event was again postponed in 2023 as the government focused on hosting the Pacific Games.
He said that the National Panpipe Festival and the UMI WAN Festival are two major cultural events initiated by the ministry to preserve and promote Solomon Islands culture while supporting the tourism sector.
“This year will be the third hosting of the National Panpipe Festival,” he said.
Mr Marita said that the festival will now continue on a biennial basis, alternating with the UMI WAN Festival every two years.
He said that the panpipe music remains one of Solomon Islands’ strongest cultural identities and is widely recognised across the Pacific region.
“Whenever people hear panpipe music, they immediately think of Solomon Islands,” Director Marita said.
He explained that the festival aims to celebrate the country’s cultural diversity and encourage the preservation of traditional bamboo music practices across the provinces.
“Groups from Malaita, Makira, Isabel, Guadalcanal, Western Province and Choiseul are expected to participate in this year’s event. The ministry expects around 40 performing groups, including traditional panpipe performers, cultural dancers, solo artists and contemporary bands that incorporate panpipe music into their performances,” he said.
He said the festival is also expected to contribute to tourism by promoting Solomon Islands culture locally and internationally.
Photo credit: John Houanihau
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