Air Niugini is supporting the inaugural Wan Pasifika Festival, taking place in Port Vila, Vanuatu, on Saturday, 10 October 2026, as part of its commitment to supporting initiatives that bring Pacific communities together through music, culture and arts.

The airline is providing travel for three artists from Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, including PNG reggae artist Anslom Nakikus. The artists travelled to Port Vila on Air Niugini over the weekend.

The festival brings together artists and cultural performers from across the Pacific to celebrate music, culture and tourism, while using arts to promote awareness of climate change under the theme “Climate Action and Changing Mindsets.” Air Niugini Chief Executive Officer, Mr Alan Milne said the airline was pleased to support an initiative that brings Pacific communities together around an issue that is critical to the region’s future.
“Climate change is not an issue that belongs to one country. It is a shared Pacific and global challenge, and our island nations are among those most directly affected by its impacts,” Mr Milne said. “Air Niugini is pleased to support this inaugural festival because it provides a platform for Pacific people to come together, share their culture and use the power of music and creativity to encourage greater awareness and positive change.” Mr Milne said the airline’s support was also consistent with its role as Papua New Guinea’s national airline and a regional carrier connecting communities across Melanesia and the wider Pacific. “Connectivity is about more than simply moving people from one destination to another. It also allows ideas, culture and important conversations to travel across our region. By supporting the participation of these artists, we are helping Pacific voices reach a wider audience and contribute to a conversation that matters to all of us,” he said.

Air Niugini operates four weekly services to Honiara, with connections to Vanuatu, Fiji and other destinations across its regional network. The airline also connects Melanesia with Australia and Asia.

For Anslom, the opportunity to represent Papua New Guinea at the festival is a proud moment. “There is no greater pride than seeing our national airline, Air Niugini, come on board as a champion of Pacific arts for the inaugural Wan Pasifika Music Festival in Vanuatu,” Anslom said. “As artists representing PNG through reggae, my music producers, band members and I are proud to travel on our own national airline as we take our music to the Pacific. We sincerely thank Air Niugini for supporting our journey and for helping us fly the PNG flag higher across the region.”
Anslom, who has been endorsed by the National Cultural Commission as an official National Cultural Ambassador, will perform alongside the other participating PNG and Solomon Islands artists including Sharzy.

The wider festival line-up includes TK Music from Tuvalu, Paradise Roots from Fiji, Justin Wellington from Cairns, Australia, and Myshaan representing New Zealand, together with comedian Tofiga Fepulea’i of the Laughing Samoans and cultural performances representing participating Pacific nations.

The Wan Pasifika Festival aims to strengthen cultural and creative ties across the Pacific while providing a platform for artists, tourism stakeholders, promoters, businesses and creatives to connect and collaborate.
Its focus on climate action also highlights the important role of Pacific communities in raising awareness of the environmental challenges facing the region and encouraging changes in attitudes and behaviour.

For Air Niugini, supporting the festival reflects the broader role of regional connectivity in bringing Pacific communities together through culture, shared experiences and issues of common importance.