Event· Ua Huka· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Ua Huka Matava'a 2025 (Marquesas Arts Festival)
8° 55.7′ S · 139° 34.6′ W · approximate
Ua Huka hosted the December 2025 Marquesas Arts Festival (Matava'a o te Henua 'Enana). Its theme was 'Haakāìè', Marquesan pride, and delegations from the six inhabited islands brought dance, song, carving, food and legends to the island.
Practical
Coordinate approximate: Vaipaee village centre (OSM place node); the events used the island's villages. Tahiti Tourisme listed the dates as 15-19 December 2025, though its hours field said 14-18 December. Tourmag: the Aranui 5 called at Ua Huka on 18 December 2025 so passengers could attend craft exhibitions, museum visits and sculpture demonstrations. Ua Huka has no breakwater, and Vaipaee Bay is narrow and open to the south. December is also cyclone season and the start of the northern swell season. Expect very limited room for yachts, an approved anchoring area if authorities set one (as at Hakahau in 2019), and supply ships using the quay. Arrive early and keep Haavei as a fallback. The 2025 event is past; Tourmag reports that Aranui is planning festival-dedicated voyages for the 2027 edition. Confirm the next host island and dates with Tahiti Tourisme or the Codim before planning around it. Note: since December 2023 the island is also officially referred to as Ua Huna (southern Marquesan dialect), per the Soggy Paws compendium.
Best for
Planning around the Marquesas Arts Festival; context for the next edition
Season
Mid-December 2025 (past); the festival rotates among islands
Nearby
- Ua Huka Infirmaries (Vaipaee and Hane)Right here
- Ua Huka Wild Horses and Horseback ToursRight here
- Vaipaee Village and Mairie (Ua Huka)Right here
- Pension Alexis (Vaipaee)0.1 NM away
- Pension Mana Tupuna (Vaipaee)0.1 NM away
- Vaipaee Bakery0.1 NM away
- Vaipaee Church Sunday Choir0.1 NM away
- Vaipaee Craft Centre and Carvers (Ua Huka)0.1 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).