The most famous of all cultural festivals is undoubtedly the “Heiva i Tahiti”, a big traditional celebration. It runs for a month and includes the National Holiday of 14 July. Events over this period are sumptuous and are characterized by heated contests between the best artistic groups with singing, dancing and their costumes, not to mention the sports contest of canoe racing, fruit bearing, javelin throwing, copra preparation, stone lifting and weaving etc… The heart of the people is also to be found in the “Crafts Heiva” that runs concurrently with these events with exhibitions and demonstrations of all forms of craftwork from the five island groups together. Thematic exhibitions at the Tourism office (Fare Manihini) further enhance this cultural wealth.
The rest of the year is studded with various events devoted to handicrafts or horticulture(for instance, the famous « Tiare Day ») or culturel events, notably with the launch of « Ia Ora Day », celebrated once a month by tourism professionals, Tahitian people and our visitors. It celebrates Polynesian hospitality through local dress and flower distribution. Sports play a growing role with unsurpassed international fame in surfing and canoe racing in particular. Running is increasingly popular, as shown by the growth of various sports events or of simple raids and hikes.
