The people of the South Pacific countries have a festival to combat the fast erosion of the island customs and cultural way of life which for many centuries have been subdued by Western cultural influences. The South Pacific Festival of Arts was born on the 6th of May, 1972, in Suva, Fiji. Emphasis from the start was on traditional song and dances although there are many similiarities in the cultural practices of the Pacific island nations. Four years later on the 6th of March 1976 Auckland, New Zealand hosted the second Festival of Arts. The participating countries increased again as nations realised the value of such a festival. Now in the year 1980, 30th of June, the host is Papua New Guinea for the third South Pacific Festival of Arts.