Accra will host the first African Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTACC) from 9 to 12 December 2026. The festival was launched this week at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Graphic Online reports.
The African Union Development Agency–New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) is organising the four-day event with the ministry. It will feature cultural showcases, exhibitions, fashion, gastronomy and investment sessions, plus engagements with young people and entrepreneurs. Activities will take place at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, the National Theatre and other venues still to be announced.
AUDA-NEPAD shared photos from the meeting in a post on X. It said its delegation, led by Director Symerre Grey-Johnson, had joined the minister and the joint organising committee to review preparations, and that the discussions had “moved firmly into delivery mode”.
Speaking in Accra, Mr Grey-Johnson said the festival was about more than celebration. “AFESTACC is much more than a Festival. It represents an important Pan-African platform to celebrate Africa’s cultural heritage, showcase our creative talent, strengthen partnerships and, importantly, unlock the economic potential of our creative and cultural industries,” he said, as reported by Citi Newsroom.
He welcomed the festival’s inclusion in Ghana’s official December in GH calendar, which he said would boost its visibility during the festive season. The core programme runs from 9 to 11 December and will bring together African governments, creative practitioners, industry leaders, investors, young people and members of the diaspora. The festival closes on 12 December with a public wellness walk.
Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie called on businesses to back the event through sponsorship. “The platform that the African Union Development Agency is offering us is a very big one. For it to be the first one to be in Ghana, I think that we should all take advantage of it,” she said.
AFESTACC will run alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026, which focuses on skills development, industry and employment. According to Graphic Online and Ghana Guardian, organisers say the pairing is meant to connect Africa’s creative potential with the skills and investment its industries need. AUDA-NEPAD says it hopes to turn AFESTACC into a lasting continental platform beyond this first edition.
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