Palmerston North's Globe Theatre played host to a culturally diverse singing and dancing extravaganza, with hundreds attending the Massey University Students' Association's cultural variety shows on Saturday.

MUSA presented the "Unity and Diversity" event across two shows, which drew almost 150 performers to the theatre to give audiences a taste of international song, dance, comedy and costumes.

A lively Pasifika Club performance kicked off the matinee show at which eight groups performed dance, music and skits, followed by another 14 in a busier show that evening.

Vietnamese School of Music graduate Julie Fam performed at both shows, playing a 19-stringed plucked zither, a traditional Vietnamese instrument called a dan tranh.

Ms Fam's music was steeped in her own personal story. Her album of Vietnamese folk music was on sale at the show. Entitled Me yeu con, which translates to "Maternal Love" in English, it is a tribute to her son who died in infancy.

MUSA club support officer Lynelle Munns said the annual show was a "long-time" tradition for the university's clubs.

Some groups of students would spend all year enthusiastically planning their bit in the show.

"It's basically an opportunity for all of our students to show us their culture," she said.

The students loved putting their time into the show and it was a chance for different cultures to meet each other as well.

Ms Munns said the performances were mostly culturally focused but performed by a mix of domestic and international students.

The ticket profits were to be put back into funding the clubs.

- © Fairfax NZ News