23RD TO 26TH SEPTEMBER, 2026 🪶
Experience the rich cultural traditions of the Southern Highlands Province at the Kutubu Kundu & Digaso Festival, taking place from 23–26 September 2026 in the Kutubu area of Papua New Guinea.
Celebrated amongst the spectacular environment of Lake Kutubu and its surrounding communities, the festival is one of Papua New Guinea’s unique cultural events, showcasing traditional sing-sing performances, cultural ceremonies, storytelling, music, dance, arts, and customary practices of the Kutubu peoples and neighbouring communities.
The 2026 festival theme, “Raising the Haus Man: Foundations of Our Identity”, honours and celebrates the construction of two traditional long houses in Daga 1 and Daga 2 villages. The theme highlights the cultural significance of the Haus Man as both a physical and spiritual foundation of identity, leadership, wisdom, and cultural continuity.
The festival explores three important pillars of cultural preservation and community identity:
- Honouring ancestral structures as symbols of physical and spiritual foundations
- Celebrating how traditional knowledge continues to strengthen and support modern knowledge
- Recognising the deep environmental connection between culture, land, and sustainable living
Visitors to the festival can experience authentic cultural performances, traditional attire, customary ceremonies, local crafts, and the warm hospitality of the Kutubu communities, all set against the breathtaking natural beauty of Southern Highlands Province.
The Kutubu Kundu & Digaso Festival offers a rare opportunity to experience living cultural heritage while celebrating the traditions and stories that continue to shape Papua New Guinea’s identity today.
For further information, email the Kutubu Kundu & Digaso Festival committee: jeffreysaina@gmail.com or call +675 7066-0057 / 7119-5699
