Mt Hagen Festival: Papua New Guinea - August

Mt Hagen Festival, Papua New Guinea

In August in the West Highlands of Papua New Guinea, clans of tribesmen of the nearby areas come together in a delight of exuberant colour and costumes for the Mt Hagen Festival.

The Mt Hagen Festival was introduced in the 1950s by English missionaires, to encourage peace between tribes who would normally be at war against each other. Amongst the foot stomping and aggressive drum beating, the tribesmen, and men and woman, unite in peace.

The costumes are unique to each tribe, as they all try to out do each other, and prove their tribe is the best & most powerful. Plumages of feathers make up the elaborate headdresses, dazzling colours created from the earth wash over their faces and bodies, piercings of carved wood & shells slide through noses & ears. Generally if it’s wearable, colourful, and ’outlandish’, anything goes.

Fairly new on the ’backpackers’ map, this festival has yet to be spolit by bombardments of too many tourists, who could turn this festival into a ’money making’ event.

If you do plan to take in this festival on your travels, remember to treat the Papua New Guinea culture with respect, and don’t expect too many western comforts. Mind the flora & fauna too (don’t litter!), and most of all, enjoy yourself at this spectacular unique festival.