Tonga is gearing up for the 2017 Heilala Festival – two weeks of events from 26 June until 9 July, the highlight being the Miss Heilala Pageant.
Nuku’alofa will see ongoing festivities with the annual Heilala Festival to start this week showcasing various events, including a Miss Heilala Pageant under a theme, “Beautiful Tonga”.
This year’s festival will be on for 3weeks starting on the 22nd June until the 11th July. This will be a fun time in the Kingdom, lots of festivals will be presented for the public such a Tradition & Tongan Night, Colourful parade around town, Block Party, Gospel Services and Grand Ball Night.
The Heilala Festival is an annual event celebrating the King’s birthday through various shows and events. One of the highlights being the Miss Heilala beauty pageant, where by contestants from various places come together to showcase the tradition and unique culture of Tonga through talent, beauty and knowledge.
The Festival is named after Tonga’s national flower, the Heilala, which is the highest in the hierarchy of the Tongan flowers. The Heilala plant is very difficult to propagate and has to be closely nurtured to survive.
The Heilala Festival was first organised in 1980 by the Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism) to celebrate the birthday of His Late Majesty’s King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV. It has since then become the highlight of the year for Tonga.
Come join us for the fun!
