The Central Music Arts and Culture Festival, or CMACF, has opened in Bereina, Kairuku District, showcasing how cultural tourism, small businesses and community enterprise can contribute to Central Province’s local economy.
The festival began on Sept. 11, 2026, drawing a large crowd for traditional performances, contemporary music, local small and medium-sized enterprise displays, and community engagement.
The event provides a platform for local businesses and entrepreneurs to promote their products and services while bringing visitors and communities together through music, arts and cultural performances.
Beyond the entertainment programme, the festival grounds featured SME stalls, government agencies and commodity organisations engaging directly with the community. Representatives from the Papua New Guinea Cocoa Board, National Fisheries Authority and Internal Revenue Commission conducted public-awareness activities throughout the opening day.
Their participation added an economic dimension to the festival by connecting communities with information on agriculture, fisheries, taxation and opportunities in the formal economy.
Culture as a tourism asset
Kairuku District Administrator Henry Oa welcomed visitors and dignitaries, thanking Central Governor Rufina Peter and the Central Provincial Administration for selecting Kairuku as the host location.
Oa said the festival was about more than music and dancing. It was an opportunity to showcase Papua New Guinea’s heritage, beauty and talent to the country and the world.
“This festival is not just about music and dancing; it is about our heritage and showing PNG and the world our beauty and talent,” Oa said. “Unity is what binds us together.”
The festival offers an opportunity to position Central Province’s cultural heritage as part of its wider tourism offering while enabling local businesses to benefit from increased visitor activity.
Acting Provincial Administrator Bala Kapa emphasised the importance of preserving traditional knowledge as younger generations become increasingly exposed to modern technology and changing lifestyles.
Kapa challenged elders to pass on their knowledge, including traditional songs, tattoos, tapa-making, canoe carving, and local languages such as Motu, Roro and Mekeo.
“You are our library. If you close, we lose everything,” Kapa said.
He also encouraged young people to take pride in their cultural identity and use music and the arts to strengthen their connection to their communities and heritage.
Preserving and presenting these traditions can also support cultural tourism by giving visitors opportunities to experience local music, art, craftsmanship, language and traditional practices.
Governor Peter formally declared the festival open, commending the youth, local leaders and organising committee for bringing the event to life.
“This festival exists because of you,” Peter told the crowd.
“It is your colour, your song and your strength that make Central Province shine. The festival is more than an event—it is memory. It is the drumbeat of our ancestors speaking to us today.”
The opening day concluded with musical performances that kept the audience engaged into the afternoon. Gaire musician Hitsy Golu headlined the programme, alongside Martin Rawali, Igo Otto of Rearea, the Kanakas of Erima, the Rapids of Sogeri, and Bereina’s Iva Ovia and the Vmates, who closed out the first day.
The turnout and combination of cultural performances, music, SMEs and public-sector engagement showed how community festivals can bring together tourism, culture and local economic activity.
The festival continued through the weekend in Bereina, creating further opportunities for communities, performers, entrepreneurs and visitors to celebrate Central Province’s culture and creative economy.
