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A pure celebration of kapa haka has been taking place at the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre this week.

Ra Whakangahau 2014 is not a competition, but an opportunity for students from more than 35 Bay of Plenty primary schools to take to the stage for the sheer love of it.

Arataki Primary School pupils performing at the event.

Today is the final day of the annual festival which has delighted whanau and the community since 1992.

It regularly attracts crowds of about 5000 people over the two days the festival is held.

Hosted this year by Te Puna School, organiser Rahera Ormsby says the festival has been amazing.

'There's a great wairua (spirit) inside, great performances, and lots of people have showed up,” says Rahera.

'Because it's non-competitive the kids are a lot more relaxed and they enjoy just getting up there.”

Each school is given 15 minutes on stage to perform and the smiles on the children's face says it all.

Rahera says this is the second year Te Puna has hosted due to no other schools wanting to take it on.

But the festival grows each year and Rahera is pleased that about four schools are already interested in hosting Ra Whakangahau in 2015.

While it is currently a two-day event she could easily see the festival stretched out to a third day, she says.

'Te Puna is really lucky to have amazing whanau support, otherwise we couldn't put on an event like this,” she adds.

'There is a Ra Whakangahau Trust that's been organised to help schools secure funding for the event which should help.”

The schools taking part in Ra Whakangahau are a mixture of Maori kura, mainstream and rumaki schools from all across the Western Bay of Plenty.

Papamoa Primary School pupils.