EAST African FestivalS

Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia

January – May

• Sauti za Busara (Zanzibar, Tanzania) – Under Stone Town’s night sky, Sauti za Busara gathers musicians from across Africa to perform on open-air stages framed by coral stone and Indian Ocean breezes. Drummers, taarab orchestras, Afro-fusion collectives, and emerging artists move the crowd into collective rhythm—no VIP barricades, just community. The festival spills into alleyways, courtyards, and galleries, inviting you to explore Zanzibar’s cultural heartbeat between sets. If you crave live music that feels rooted in place rather than spectacle, this is East Africa’s most soulful stage. The next edition will be held February 5–8, 2026.

• Addis Jazz Festival (Ethiopia) – In the birthplace of Ethio-jazz, Addis Jazz Festival is an intimate pilgrimage for music lovers. Seasoned virtuosos and young experimentalists gather across the city for springtime jam sessions, improvisations, and unexpected collaborations. Think late-night clubs, smoke-kissed basements, and rooftop venues overlooking Addis Ababa’s skyline—each performance honoring the legacy of Mulatu Astatke while pushing the genre forward. If you love music with depth, heritage, and edge, Addis is its beating heart.

• Lamu Yoga Festival (Kenya) – Each year, Lamu transforms into a slow, sun-lit sanctuary for yogis, meditators, and wellness wanderers. From dawn sessions on Shela Beach to gentle flows in Swahili courtyards, the festival is a soft, salt-touched exhale. Practitioners from around the world gather for yoga, breathwork, dhows at sunset, and barefoot walks through an island untouched by modern chaos. Here, movement is prayer and the ocean is witness. The next edition will be held October 31–November 4, 2025.

June – December

• Blankets & Wine (Kenya) – A year-round celebration of music, culture, and community, Blankets & Wine transforms Nairobi’s green spaces into open-air gardens of sound. Festival-goers lay out picnic blankets, sip Kenyan wines, and dance barefoot to live Afro-fusion, soul, alt-pop, amapiano, and experimental sets. It’s where emerging African artists share stages with icons, and the crowd feels like a creative village—stylish, easy, intergenerational. Expect artisan markets, food stalls, and a relaxed pace that makes you forget you’re in a capital city. If you’re looking for soft outdoor energy and a modern Afropolitan vibe, Blankets & Wine is Nairobi at its most effortless. Hosted multiple times per year.

• Zanzibar International Film Festival (Tanzania) – Held along the Indian Ocean in the heart of Stone Town, the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) is one of Africa’s most respected showcases of cinema. Filmmakers from across the continent and diaspora gather to premiere features, documentaries, shorts, and experimental works, framed by Swahili culture and historic coastal architecture. Screenings spill into courtyards, beaches, and open-air venues, while live music, panel discussions, and community workshops animate the streets. There’s a quiet magic to watching film as the sun sets over the ocean—art, memory, and culture converging. A true anchor of East African storytelling. The next edition will be held June 24–28, 2026.

• Lamu Sailing Regatta (Kenya) – Set against the Indian Ocean, the Lamu Sailing Regatta honors centuries of Swahili maritime tradition. Skilled sailors race handcrafted wooden dhows across turquoise waters, while locals line the shoreline to cheer them on. It’s more than a competition—it’s a celebration of island life, community, and ancestral craftsmanship. Wander narrow stone alleys, sip spiced chai in Shela, and watch sails cut the horizon at sunset. If you crave cultural immersion without chaos, the regatta is one of East Africa’s most soulful festivals—slow, beautiful, and unforgettable. Annually, typically in November, during the Lamu Cultural Festival. There are also special dhow-racing events on New Year’s Day (January 1).