There has never been a gathering in Solomon Islands to rival that of the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts.

These sentiments were echoed by the festival Chair Lady Doreen Kuper at the festival closing ceremony last Friday.

Ms Kuper says over the past thirteen days 3000 performers from twenty-four countries have entertained and delighted an audience of more then two hundred thousand people.

The Chair Lady also acknowledged the presence of around 3000 supporters who accompanied the performers to the festival, including ten pacific ministers.

"This has been a gather like no other! We have been trully blessed to be a part of this event. We have been to other Festivals and Solomon Islands is the best and has put the benchmark so high," says a Niue participant.

"Solomon Islands people are so friendly. We have been overwhelmed by the support to our shows. It is so amazing how so many people appreciate the performances by each country," says a Fiji participant.