Fiafia Night

Fiafia means to celebrate, and a fiafia night is Samoa putting its culture on stage: sasa slap dances performed sitting in rows, the graceful siva, the taualuga danced by a chief's daughter, and the finale that everyone waits for - the siva afi, or fire knife dance, in which performers spin a blade wrapped in burning cloth at speed. The food is umu, cooked above ground on hot volcanic stones under leaves: taro, breadfruit, palusami of coconut cream baked in taro leaves, fish and pork. Most resorts host a weekly fiafia, and the better ones use local village performers.

What you actually see

• Siva afi - the fire knife dance that closes the evening.
• The umu feast - taro, palusami and fish cooked on hot stones.
• Sasa and siva dancing - the seated slap dance and the graceful solo forms.
• Village-run fiafia - performances by community groups rather than staff troupes.

When to go

Fiafia nights run weekly at resorts year round, usually one fixed evening per week per venue. The Teuila Festival in Apia, usually held around September, brings the largest cultural performances and competitions of the year.

Honest expectations

Quality varies enormously - some fiafia nights are genuine village performances, others are thin resort entertainment. Asking who performs before booking is worth doing. It is a paid evening at a venue rather than a spontaneous community event. Photography of performers is generally fine but flash during the fire dance is not. Samoan Sundays are for church and family, and almost nothing runs.

Nearby

Apia's cultural village, the Teuila Festival grounds and resorts across both islands.