Home / Festivals

The living guide to Africa's celebrations

Africa's festivals, kept alive by the people who live them.

Q: Can I plan a trip around a festival?

Yes. Each festival page shows its next date, how many days it runs, where it is held, and what happens, with an add-to-calendar option so you can plan around it.

When each one happens, what to expect, and the music, food and meaning behind it. One place to discover a celebration, and plan to be there.

99festivals

41countries

Kept current by the community

🥁 Cultural & heritage festivals

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All kinds 🥁 Cultural & heritage

#1 Jan

Sudan

Nile festival

Celebration of river life with boat races, music, and crafts on the Nile.

📅 Jan ⏳ 1 day Needs a local's update

🏆 Community Choice 2026

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 1

#2 Dec

Kenya

Rusinga Cultural Festival

Annual celebration of the Abasuba people's culture

📅 Dec ⏳ 2 days Needs a local's update

🏆 #1 Festival in Kenya

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 1

Sao Tome and Principe

Tchiloli Festival

A masked theatre, music and dance tradition of São Tomé that re-enacts the medieval trial of Charlem...

📅 No single fixed date. Perf... ⏳ 1 day ✅ Visitors welcome Needs a local's update

🏆 Top 10 Cultural & heritage Festival

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

Eritrea

Eritrean National Festival (Festival Eritrea / Expo)

National event representing all nine recognised Eritrean nation groups: Tigrinya, Tigre, Saho, Afar,...

📅 Usually a seven to nine da... ⏳ 9 days 👀 Partly open Needs a local's update

🏆 Top 10 Cultural & heritage Festival

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

Tanzania

Mwaka Kogwa Festival

Mwaka Kogwa is the traditional Swahili New Year festival of Zanzibar.

📅 Held every July on a date... ⏳ 4 days ✅ Visitors welcome Needs a local's update

🏆 Top 10 Cultural & heritage Festival

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#6 Sep

Lesotho

Morija Arts & Cultural Festival

Lesotho's premier arts and heritage festival

📅 Sep ⏳ 5 days ✅ Visitors welcome Needs a local's update

🏆 Top 10 Cultural & heritage Festival

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

Kenya

Lamu Cultural Festival

Swahili culture celebration that focuses on preserving endangered maritime technologies, vernacular...

📅 Typically scheduled in lat... ⏳ 4 days ✅ Visitors welcome Needs a local's update

🏆 Top 10 Cultural & heritage Festival

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#8 🥁 Apr

Guinea

Festival National des Arts et de la Culture

National Festival of Arts and Culture

📅 Apr ⏳ 5 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#9 🥁 Feb

Eswatini

Marula Festival

Traditional harvest festival

📅 Feb ⏳ 3 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#10 🥁 Mar

Eswatini

Buganu Festival

Traditional marula beer festival

📅 Mar ⏳ 2 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#11 🥁 Sep

Chad

Gerewol Festival

Traditional Wodaabe cultural festival

📅 Sep ⏳ 7 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#12 🥁 Dec

Togo

Gbagba Festival

Traditional harvest festival of the Kabye people

📅 Dec ⏳ 3 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#13 🥁 Dec

Niger

Festival de l'Aïr

Cultural festival in the Aïr Mountains

📅 Dec ⏳ 3 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#14 🥁 Sep

Niger

Wodaabe Gerewol Festival

Traditional courtship ceremony and cultural festival

📅 Sep ⏳ 7 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#15 🥁 Sep

Niger

Cure Salee

Festival of Nomads

📅 Sep ⏳ 3 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#16 🥁 Jan

Tanzania

Wanyambo Festival

Traditional cultural celebration

📅 Jan ⏳ 3 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#17 🥁 Oct

Morocco

Date Festival of Erfoud

Celebration of date harvest in Tafilalet region

📅 Oct ⏳ 3 days Needs a local's update

🏆 #1 Festival in Morocco

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#18 🥁 Apr

Nigeria

Durbar Festival

Traditional horsemanship festival of Northern Nigeria

📅 Apr ⏳ 1 day Needs a local's update

🏆 #1 Festival in Nigeria

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#19 🥁 Dec

Nigeria

Igue Festival

Annual royal festival of the Benin Kingdom

📅 Dec ⏳ 7 days Needs a local's update

🏆 Top 10 Cultural & heritage Festival

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#20 🥁 Nov

Seychelles

SUBIOS

Seychelles Festival of the Sea

📅 Nov ⏳ 3 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#21 🥁 Oct

Seychelles

Creole Festival

Celebration of Seychellois Creole culture

📅 Oct ⏳ 7 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#22 🥁 Mar

Côte d'Ivoire

Fête de la Musique d'Anoumabo

MASA Festival

📅 Mar ⏳ 8 days Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#23 🥁 Apr

Côte d'Ivoire

Fête du Dipri

Traditional Abidji festival

📅 Apr ⏳ 1 day Needs a local's update

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

#24 🥁 Mar

Madagascar

Alahamadi Be

Traditional Malagasy New Year

📅 Mar ⏳ 2 days Needs a local's update

🏆 #1 Festival in Madagascar

🥁 Cultural & heritage ▲ 0

Kept current, not frozen. Members confirm dates and flag changes as festivals move year to year.

Reviewed, not scraped. Every addition and edit is checked before it goes live.

From the people who live them. Detail comes from the communities that celebrate.

Know a festival better than we do?

This guide is only as alive as the people keeping it current. If a celebration from your community is missing, or its details have moved on, help the continent find it, and get credited for it.

Add or improve a festival Free · Reviewed before publishing · You're credited

Frequently asked questions

What is Lughayangu Festivals?

A living guide to festivals across Africa: when each one happens, what to expect, and the music, food, dress and meaning behind it. Every festival is kept current by a community that includes the people who celebrate them.

How current is the information?

Festivals shift year to year, so members confirm dates, flag changes and add detail continuously, and every change is reviewed before it goes live. That's what keeps this more accurate than a static list.

Can I plan a trip around a festival?

Yes. Each festival page shows its next date, how long it runs, where it's held and what happens, with an add-to-calendar option so you can plan around it.

Are these the same as public holidays?

No. Festivals are cultural celebrations, kept separate from statutory public holidays. Many aren't days off, and many move each year. You can explore official holidays in our Holidays section.

Is it free?

Yes, browsing African festivals on Lughayangu is completely free, and contributing is open to any registered member.