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Cultural Dance Festivals in Papua New Guinea

Vibrant cultural festivities with traditional attire, body paint, and joyful expressions, showcasing Papua New Guinea's heritage.

Mali, Bandiagara Escarpment, Sanga. Sanga village dancers re-enact aspects of the Dogon people's creation story through dances, with masks being an important element of this ritual.
Mali, Bandiagara Escarpment, Sanga. Sanga village dancers re-enact aspects of the Dogon people's creation story through dances, with masks being an important element of this ritual.
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Vanuatu, Tanna Island, Fetukai. Black Magic and Kava Test Tour, Villagers in Native Dress, warrior greetings. MRRwanda, Virunga Area, Volcanoes National Park, Local group performing traditional dancingHawaii, Big Island, Cy Bridges Male Group, Merrie Monarch Hula Festival,Women in colourfully decorated costumes with face and body paint at the traditional sing-sing gathering, Hochland, Mount Hagen, Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, OceaniaTinkus Los Tolkas Dancers In The Procession Of The Carnaval De Oruro, Oruro, Bolivianiger, gerewol, surrounding of abalakMelanesia, Papua New Guinea, Sepik River area, Murik Lakes, Karau Village. Village chief in ornate seashell and boar's tusk headdress in traditional sing-sing. (Large format sizes available)Actors perform a play called Ferrabras, the play is an annual event and is performed in Santa Antonio, Principes only town, in August. Sao Tome and Principe is Africas second smallest country with a population of 193 000.Gerewol Festival, Chad. Close-up portrait of two young Wodaabe men wearing traditional clay makeup and paint, competing at the male beauty pageant. (Editorial Use Only)Africa, West Africa, Mali, Kondou. Dogon men, wearing traditional colored grass clothes and wooden masks, perform a traditional mask dance.Dancers dressed as slaves, parade of the samba school Beija Flor de Nilopolis, Sambodromo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South AmericaMali, Bandiagara Escarpment, Sanga. Sanga village dancers re-enact aspects of the Dogon people's creation story through dances, with masks being an important element of this ritual.Goroka Festival, Papua New Guinea. Portrait of tribal woman in traditional paint and costume at the annual cultural event. (Editorial Use Only)Benin, Bopa, Mono Department. Zangbeto are traditional voodoo guardians and are highly regarded as unofficial policemen patrolling the streets at night. The costume resembles a haystack and is believed to move by supernatural means.Dancers wearing Kananga mask at the Dama celebration in Tireli, MaliMen of the ethnic group of the Bamileke with traditional masks, Dance of Death in honor of a deceased person, Badenkop, West Region, Cameroon, AfricaHawaii Volcanoes Nat´l Park Halau O Kekuhi @ hula mound singing with gourds A37ECarnival, TrinidadTribal villagers performing Lego-lego dance on Alor IslandIndonesia, Bali, BatubulanBarongNaga tribal people dancing during Naga New Year's festival, Nagaland, MyanmarSwazi dancing. Ebutsini Cultural Village. Near Barbeton. Mpumalanga. South Africa.Ghana, Kumasi, Drummers Playing At Funeral Of Wife Of A Chief.Nocte warrior tribes, playing bamboo stilts game Nocte warrior tribes, playing bamboo stilts game at Namdapha Eco Cultural Festival Miao Arunachal Pradesh India Copyright: xZoonar.com/yogeshxmorex 8134762New Mexico, San Ildefonso Pueblo. Comanche Dance.Masked dancer and drummers, The Kulamba Traditional Ceremony of the Chewa people from Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi, held annually on the last Saturday in August to pay homage to their Chief Kalonga Gaia Uni, held near Katete, Eastern Province, Zambia, AfricaMasked dancers, The Kulamba Traditional Ceremony of the Chewa people from Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi, held annually on the last Saturday in August to pay homage to their Chief Kalonga Gaia Uni, held near Katete, Eastern Province, Zambia, Africa Copyright: IanxMurphy 1383-58 Editorial Use OnlyWoman dress as Hindu Goddess Kali, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia Copyright: xAkellaxSrinivas/DinodiaxPhotoxtraditional weaving with sheep wool by Quechua womenTribal performers from the Anglimp District in Waghi Province, performing at a Sing-sing, Hagen Show, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea, OceaniaDecorated and painted tribal chief in the Highlands, Paya, Highland, Papua New Guinea, OceaniaKenya, Marsabit County, Kalacha. A Borana woman jumps while she and others sing and dance at the annual Kalacha Festival. Their metal headbands are made from old aluminum cooking pots and are called malmal.Ritual ceremony, fire dance, night shot, Viti Levu, Fiji, South Pacific Ocean, OceaniaEntrada de los otomanos en la ciudad. Moros y cristianos. Pollença. Sierra de Tramuntana. Mallorca. Islas Baleares. Spain.Caci men perform a traditional whip dance with bamboo shields and leather whips, western Flores, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, AsiaMali, Bandiagara Escarpment, Sanga. Sanga village dancers re-enact aspects of the Dogon people's creation story through dances, with masks being an important element of this ritual.Indigenous people, Huni Kuin men decorated with plant leaves during a traditional ritual in their village in the Amazon rainforest, Acre, Brazil, South AmericaDaura city, Nigeria - 07 September 2025: View of a vibrant procession with men in red and black attire alongside decorated camels, set against the backdrop of the mud-walled Daura Kofar Fada.Roika Waria sing-sing performers from Mt Hagen, with Victoria Ground Pigeon feathers in headdress, at Mount Hagen Show, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea, OceaniaA group of local artists preparing themselves for a performance on Christmas Eve in St. Yusof Yuwono Church, Gubuk Selo Merapi in Mangunsuko Village. Celebrations here are a mix of Roman Catholic and local Central Javanese culture. Muntilan, Central Java, Indonesia. Dec 24, 2007. Asia, Indonesia, Bali. Balinese performing art dance.Men wearing the traditional Malangaan masks of New Ireland; New Ireland, Papua New GuineaTribal dance performance at Sneha school set up in 2003 by young activists to educate chakma tribe children, Diyun, Arunachal Pradesh, India Copyright: xDinodiaxPhotoxTribal members in masks and full body paint are celebrating at the traditional Sing Sing gathering in the highlands, Paya, Papua New Guinea, Oceaniavelichapadu (oracles) , bharani festival , kodungalloor , kerala , indiaDancers in war paint, Sing Sing, Festival, Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea, OceaniaAustralia, Queensland, Cairns. Indigenous dancers at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.Pig festival in Dani village, Baliem Valley, West Papua, Indonesia, AsiaAsaro tribesmen in full costume for a rital display of wealth.Papua New Guinea, (1974)Male paddlers from Uwus perform ritual greeting ceremony in Asmat Region of Papua, Indonesia during cultural eventArgugun, Nigeria - 13 February 2026: View of a traditionally dressed man with intricate adornments and vibrant colors, embodying the rich cultural heritage.Ceremonial drummers perform with colorful drums on Sumbawa Island, Indonesia during a cultural eventOceania, Indonesia, Bali, Ubud. Traditional fire dance performance.Barong and Kris Dance, traditional Balinese dance, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, AsiaNepalese men perform a traditional dance, Sauraha, Nepal, AsiaHawaii, Big Island, Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, Kane Kahiko dancers, view from side.Nassau, Bahamas - 01 January 2026: View of a vibrant Junkanoo performer in a dazzling costume, adorned with bright blues and yellows, embodying the energetic spirit of the festival.Male paddlers from village of Per engage in traditional greeting ceremony in Asmat Region, Papua, IndonesiaSultan guards with bird of paradise feathers in Moluccas, IndonesiaApache men dancing in traditional regaliaMoros y cristianos, fiesta de La Patrona, Pollença, ,Mallorca, balearic islands, Spain.Montreal, Canada. 21st June, 2022. An Indigenous dancer in full traditional dress takes part during the concert to celebrate the National Indigenous Peoples Day. Canadians celebrated the 26th National Indigenous Peoples Day. To celebrate the event, POP Montreal, Resilience Montreal and Native Womenís Shelter of Montreal organized a free concert at Square Cabot to highlight Indigenous culture, songs and performers. Credit: SOPA Images Limited/Alamy Live NewsNative Phnong people wearing traditional costume, ethnic minority, Pnong, Bunong, Senmonorom, Sen Monorom, Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia, AsiaTongan Dance series from Blackroom. January 15, 1954.Pulikali Tiger Dance procession, Onam festival, Thrissur, Kerala, India, Asia India Copyright: xAkellaxSrinivas/DinodiaxPhotox -View of Swazi musical and dance performance, Mantenga Cultural Village a traditional Eswatini settlement, Malkerns, Eswatini, Africa Copyright: FrankxFell 844-33227 Editorial Use OnlyShamans from the Yanomami tribe practising traditional healing methods, southern Venezuela, South AmericaSitting in silence as part of the initiation of new sadhus, during Kumbha Mela festival, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, AsiaEthnic and rustic handmade drums in a religious festival that originated in the mixing of the culture of enslaved Africans with European colonizers, BrasilAfrica, Ghana, Accra. La Palm Beach Hotel. Traditional West African folkloric show, ritual ceremony.Dogon masked warrior, Bandiagara Escarpment, Dogon Country, MaliApache CeremonyIntore Traditional dance performed outdoors near Volcanoes National Park in RwandaPole ceremony,Biwar Lout, Iryan Jaya, IndonesiaMaasai dancing their traditional wedding dance at night, Zanzibar, Tanzania, AfricaNepalese men perform a traditional dance, Sauraha, Nepal, AsiaFijian chiefs at Kava Ceremony tribal gathering cultural event in Fiji, South PacificMasked dancers, The Kulamba Traditional Ceremony of the Chewa people from Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi, held annually on the last Saturday in August to pay homage to their Chief Kalonga Gaia Uni, held near Katete, Eastern Province, Zambia, AfricaMexico City, Mexico - 04 November 2023: View of the Day of the Dead parade with a giant puppet figure towering over a crowd of costumed people.Colorful dressed and face painted local tribes celebrating the traditional Sing Sing in Paya in the Highlands of Papua New GuineaMayan Ball Players from Guatemala and Chapab de las Flores, greet each other during the first APok Ta PokA World Cup in Piste, Tinum, Yucatan, MexicoBison horn dancers, bastar, chhattisgarh, india, asia Copyright: xHarixMahidhar/DinodiaxPhotoxProcession of a secret male association, group of male tribe leaders, primitive culture, Fundong, North-West Region, Cameroon, AfricaGher folk dancers at marwar festivals Jodhpur Rajasthan India MR 786 Copyright: xMohammedxSharif/DinodiaxPhotoxRottweiler Narrensprung in heavy snowfall, highlight of the Swabian-Alemannic Fasnet, Black Forest, Rottweil, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, Europeindia, kerala festivalNew Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Maori Court, Maori dance performanceUkusefya pa Ng wena, a traditional ceremony held annually in August by the Bemba to chronicle their journey from Angola to Zambia, Bemba people of Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, Kasama, Zambia, Africa Copyright: IanxMurphy 1383-42 Editorial Use OnlyCultural photo from Kolonia, Federated States of Micronesia, on August 5, 2019.The Chewa people, Malawis largest ethnic group, live on the west side of Lake Malawi. Despite years of missionary influence, they still cling to old beliefs and rituals. For them, death simply means a journey of rebirth into the spirit world.Asia,Malaysia; Penang; Thaipusam; Hindu; festival; people;Gallup, New Mexico, United States. Annual Gallup Intertribal Ceremonies. Zuni Olla Maidens.Es Firó de Sóller, Moors and Christians celebration , Battle of Can Generós Beach, Soller, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.Male paddlers perform a greeting ceremony in a ritual in the Asmat region of Papua, IndonesiaPygmy warrior, Kisangani, Congo, AfricaTaking their first meal in their new lives as part of the initiation of new sadhus, during Kumbha Mela festival, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, AsiaMali, Dogon cliff, Dogon dance at Tireli villageMedieval festival, Burghausen, Upper Bavaria, Bavaria, Germany, EuropeThe Royal Ploughing Ceremony is an ancient Brahman ritual held each year in Bangkok at Sanam Luang in front of the Grand Palace. The event is performed to gain an auspicious start to the rice growing season. Sacred white oxen plough the Sanam Luang field, which is then sown with seeds blessed by the king. Farmers then collect the seeds to replant in their own fields. This ceremony is also performed in Cambodia and Sri Lanka.Traditional Duk Duks; East New Britain, Papua New Guinea