Accra has come alive with colour, music, and heritage as Ghana officially opened the 2025 edition of the FESTAC Africa Renaissance Festival. The celebrations began on Sunday, 21st September 2025, with a vibrant cocktail event dubbed “Kente and Calabash” at the Labadi Beach Hotel, held in honour of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The evening gathering not only marked Nkrumah’s birthday but also signalled the start of a week-long programme of cultural and artistic activities across Accra. Guests, dressed in African prints, shared drinks and stories against a backdrop of live drumming and dance, with the symbolic themes of kente—a fabric of heritage—and the calabash—a vessel of unity—setting the tone for the days ahead.
Reading on behalf of the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mrs Maame Efua Houadjeto, described the cocktail as “a celebration of African resilience, creativity, and togetherness.” She added:
“The Kente, woven with meaning and persistence, speaks of our heritage, while the Calabash, a vessel of sharing, symbolises unity and continuity. Together, they reflect the essence of diverse cultures bound by a shared identity.”
While dignitaries gathered in Accra, the sector minister joined chiefs and residents in Nkroful, the birthplace of Dr Nkrumah, where a durbar was held in his honour to connect the national celebrations to his Pan-African legacy.
Tracing the origins of FESTAC, Chairman of FESTAC Africa, Engineer Yinka Abioye, recounted how the Pan-African arts festival was first envisioned in the 1960s to promote cultural solidarity among newly independent African nations.
“The first edition was held in Dakar, Senegal, in 1966. Nigeria hosted the second in 1977, attracting more than half a million people without the benefit of internet or mobile phones,” he said. “After decades of dormancy, FESTAC has been revived, never to die again.”
The festival was revived in Zanzibar in 2022, then celebrated in Tanzania and Kenya in subsequent years. “Now in 2025, it is Ghana’s turn to carry the torch,” Yinka added, to loud applause.
A Packed Week of Activities
This year’s Accra edition promises an immersive experience for participants. Activities scheduled include:
Art and fashion exhibitions showcasing African creativity.
1. Musical concerts featuring pan-African headliners alongside Ghanaian stars.
2. Cultural dialogues and panel discussions on the role of the arts in sustainable development.
3. Tours of historic sites such as the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Cape Coast Castle to reflect on Ghana’s central role in the Pan-African story.
Delegations from across the continent and the diaspora are already in Accra for the festival, which is expected to draw thousands of visitors and position Ghana as a cultural hub for African unity and creative exchange.
With the symbolic mix of kente and calabash to open the celebrations, organisers say FESTAC Africa 2025 will not only showcase art and culture but also strengthen Ghana’s role in carrying forward Nkrumah’s dream of a united, self-confident Africa.
