Annual Siwai Cultural Show cancelled for this year

This is the first time the Siwai cultural show has been postponed.

This annual celebration of the rich and diverse cultures of the Siwai people of South Bougainville, has been a tourism spectacle for culture tourists, drawing spectators from across Europe, America and Australia over the four years the show has been hosted.

The show has been recognized by the National Cultural Commission [NCC] and is listed among a string of other renowned cultural events in the country under the NCC annual calendar.

Chairman of Tourism Siwai, which hosts more than a dozen culture groups, tourism and hospitality SMEs and artisan units, Peter Sunai, said the show has been cancelled due to continuous bad weather across South Bougainville.

He said these have made the roads impossible to get to Siwai.

“Experience from the last two years, the weather, I mean affecting the show very much. A lot of people came from outside, so we decided to cancel. We will also change the date from August,” Sunai said.

Sunai said he is still working through his calendar to find an appropriate time to slot in the show to ensure bad weather does not inconvenience both the local and international tourists visiting the event.