HiP's Bora Bora Festival 2025

International dance competition featuring performers from around the world, staged on white sandy beaches with innovative staging and Polynesian cultural backdrop.

HiP’s Bora Bora Festival 2025 is confirmed for the final weekend of November, with the main competition days set for Saturday–Sunday, November 29–30, 2025 at Chapiteau Fare Mata‘i, Place Tuvavau in Vaitape, Bora Bora; festival programming is listed from November 27–29 on Tahiti Tourisme, indicating build-up activities and openings ahead of the two-day championship showdown. Positioned as the “World Tahitian Dance League,” the event returns to its spiritual birthplace with a custom white-sand stage on Bora Bora’s lagoonfront, bringing elite ori Tahiti soloists and teams from around the globe for the World Team Championship and headline matchups, all produced by the creative team behind Heiva i Paris.

Dates, venue, tickets

• Competition weekend: Saturday–Sunday, November 29–30, 2025 (afternoon to late afternoon local time).
• Festival window: Thursday–Saturday, November 27–29, 2025 on the official tourism calendar, aligning pre-events and opening activations before the weekend finals.
• Venue: Chapiteau Fare Mata‘i (also referenced as Chapiteau Blanc), Place Tuvavau, Vaitape, Bora Bora, with a purpose-built white-sand stage on the waterfront.
• Tickets: Sales live via the organizer’s platform, with reserved seating options; demand is high given limited seating at the chapiteau and international attendance.

What the festival is

HiP’s Bora Bora is a high-profile international ori Tahiti competition created by the founders of Heiva i Paris. It blends professional-level staging with the raw cultural power of Tahitian dance and percussion, spotlighting both solo mastery and precision team work in a championship format set against Bora Bora’s legendary lagoon. The World Team Championship is the marquee contest, with national squads performing themed suites that combine ‘ōte‘a, ‘aparima, and drum-driven interludes, judged on technique, musicality, staging, and authenticity. Organizers describe the 2025 edition as “Back to its Origins,” reconnecting the league with Bora Bora’s iconic white-sand stage and the island’s role as a cradle for Polynesian stagecraft.

Who’s competing and the 2025 buzz

Registrations opened in spring 2025, and social announcements have trailed a headline face-off between elite soloists Calicia and Kalea on the Bora Bora stage during the November 29–30 showdown, alongside the multi-country team brackets that define the world title. As with the 2024 inaugural edition, expect a deep international field shaped by Heiva i Paris connections and the growing global ecosystem of ori Tahiti schools, from France and mainland Europe to Japan, the Americas, and across Oceania. The format’s blend of solo and team rounds gives audiences a complete spectrum of the art: the intimate storytelling of ‘aparima and the thunder of full ensemble ‘ōte‘a in one setting.

Staging and production values

• Custom white-sand stage: A signature build that tests balance, footwork, and formation precision, while creating a luminous canvas for costuming and choreography under tropical light.
• Heiva i Paris creative DNA: The staging team brings lighting, scenery, and flow innovations honed in Paris to a Polynesian outdoor venue, translating arena-grade polish to a waterfront chapiteau setting.
• Live percussion and choral support: Traditional to‘ere, pahu, and vocal ensembles drive tempo and dynamics; arrangements are crafted to match each troupe’s narrative arc and energy.

Cultural significance

HiP’s Bora Bora situates modern competition within Polynesia’s living culture. While choreographies embrace theatrical staging, judging emphasizes mastery of foundational technique, ensemble discipline, and cultural coherence across costume, movement, and story. By returning to Bora Bora, the league affirms the island’s role as an inspirational stage for Tahitian dance, reinforcing ties to the broader festival season that includes the historic Heiva cycles and canoe racing culminations like Hawaiki Nui Va‘a across the Society Islands. For visitors, this makes late November a compelling time to witness contemporary performance art deeply rooted in heritage, presented with world-class production in an intimate island venue.

Travel planning

• When to arrive: Target arrival by Thursday, November 27 to settle in, pick up tickets, and enjoy opening activations; competition sessions run Saturday–Sunday with peak attendance on finals day.
• Where to stay: Vaitape and Matira offer the most convenient access to Place Tuvavau and chapiteau shuttles; overwater resorts provide lagoon luxury, while guesthouses offer proximity and local immersion.
• Getting there: Fly to Bora Bora (BOB) via Papeete (PPT) on Air Tahiti; seat availability tightens around festival weekends, so book early and sync inter-island connections with event timings.
• Getting around: Coordinate taxi-boat or land transfers through accommodations; many properties run event-night shuttles to Tuvavau to reduce traffic and ease drop-offs near the venue.

How the days flow

• Thursday–Friday: Arrival, rehearsal sightings, press calls, and possible cultural pop-ups on the waterfront; check Tahiti Tourisme and organizer feeds for any public previews or meet-the-artists moments.
• Saturday: Opening brackets and early team rounds; solo heats and category showcases run into the late afternoon.
• Sunday: Semifinals and finals, plus the headline solo face-off and the World Team Championship awards; post-show celebrations often spill onto the waterfront with photo calls and spontaneous music.

What to wear and bring

• Attire: Resort evening wear with breathable layers; the chapiteau is open-air near the lagoon, so bring a light wrap against evening breezes.
• Essentials: Phone tickets, portable fan, water, and a small seat cushion for longer sessions; respect photography rules and avoid flash during performances.
• Cultural etiquette: Applaud transitions and drum breaks; remain seated during key passages; give performers and costume handlers space during entries and exits.

Pairing your trip

• Lagoon days: Book a morning snorkel or motu picnic on non-competition days; Bora Bora’s coral gardens and ray channels are world-famous and just minutes from Vaitape.
• Cultural stops: Explore artisan markets in town for shell, pandanus, and ‘ura‘pe‘a dye crafts that often feature in dance costuming, connecting the performance arts to everyday making.
• Island circuit: Sunset viewpoints around Matira and boat loops beneath Mount Otemanu frame the festival weekend with the island’s most iconic vistas.

Tickets, seating, and demand

The chapiteau’s capacity is intentionally intimate to preserve sightlines and acoustics, and the 2024 launch demonstrated strong international pull; for 2025, organizers are again urging early purchase, with seat maps and categories available on the official ticket portal. If sessions sell out, check Tahiti Tourisme listings for same-day release windows or returned seats, and consider splitting your party across adjacent blocks to secure entry for everyone.

Why late November is ideal

This timing follows the intense mid-year Heiva cycles and aligns with calmer trade winds and typically favorable lagoon conditions for outdoor staging. It also lands after the peak canoe race period, clearing the calendar for performers and musicians migrating from Tahiti and the Leeward Islands to Bora Bora for a final year-end celebration of dance excellence. For travelers, it is a sweet spot before festive season rates spike, with warm days, balmy evenings, and a cultural crescendo concentrated into one unforgettable weekend.

Verified 2025 details at a glance

• Festival window: November 27–29, 2025 (tourism listing), with main competition days November 29–30.
• Location: Chapiteau Fare Mata‘i, Place Tuvavau, Vaitape, Bora Bora.
• Format: Solo categories plus World Team Championship, produced by the Heiva i Paris creative team, staged on a custom white-sand platform.
• Tickets: Available now on the organizer’s portal; seating limited, early purchase recommended.

If Tahitian dance, live percussion, and island pageantry stir the heart, this is the weekend to be in Bora Bora. Book seats now, arrive by Thursday to soak in the anticipation, and spend two unforgettable days watching champions rise on the white sand as drums roll across the lagoon. Follow Tahiti Tourisme and the HiP’s League channels for session times and artist reveals, and get ready to experience ori Tahiti at its absolute apex — in the most breathtaking arena on earth.