Pakistan Association of Otago president Umair Zia said the idea behind the show was to interact with people of different ethnicities and different cultural backgrounds.
"To share our culture and see their culture."
People representing Pasifika, Maori, Chinese, Indian, Fijian, Spanish and Japanese communities have been invited to take part.
Alongside indigenous food and craft stalls there will be cultural performances.
Children will take part in a flower dress show and there will be Pakistani and Indian bhangra dance.
Mr Zia said the purpose of the event was to bring groups together.
"A lot of people don’t know about Pakistan and its rich culture.
"Likewise, we see performances on the television but we don’t know about the culture of other communities."
While there were many interactions between individuals from different communities, being able to find synergies between cultural groups was a desired aim for the event, Mr Zia said.
The Pakistan Association of Otago was established in July 2022 and had a number of "wings" which focused on different projects.
The festival was organised by the multi-ethnic wing led by Dr Muhammad Hassan.
Other wings of the organisation included a sports and wellness wing, run by Dr Zohaib Rana.
Another focus was women in business, headed up by Humara Fiaz Sajjad, and an arts and culture wing run by Dr Asrar Elahi, Mr Zia said.
- The Pakistan Multi-Cultural Festival 2023 takes place on Saturday, March 11 from 3pm to 6pm at the Metro Direct Lounge, Edgar Centre. Free entry.
