The 65th Hagen Cultural Show drew thousands from August 15–17, 2025, highlighting Papua New Guinea’s cultural diversity while passing knowledge from elders to youth. First staged in the 1960s to promote peace among Highlands tribes, the Show has grown into one of the country’s most iconic festivals and a crucial platform for preserving tradition. This year’s opening featured various individuals from the government, government departments and international partners including, Member for Vanimo-Green and Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Belden Norman Namah, Western Highlands Governor Wai Rapa, Member for Mul-Baiyer, Jacob Maki, National Cultural Commission Executive Director Steven Enomb Kilanda, and US Ambassador Marie Yastishock, reflecting the event’s national and international importance. Performances by tribes in traditional regalia of feathers, shells, face paint and woven materials were more than spectacle, they were lessons. Songs, dances and rituals provided opportunities for elders to pass on cultural knowledge, ensuring young people carry forward their identity. Organizers stressed the event’s role in promoting unity and safeguarding heritage in the face of modern influences, making it both a tourist attraction and a living classroom for PNG’s youth.