Preparations are in top gear for the Continental Festival for Art and Culture (FESTAC) 2024 in August 2024.
Kisumu governor Anyang’ Nyong’o on Wednesday, July 2, 2024, met the FESTAC planning committee for a status update ahead of the highly anticipated festival which will bring together delegates from across the African region.
“Today, I held a status update meeting in my office with the FESTAC planning committee, led by CECM Sports, Youth, and Culture, Madam Beatrice Odongo,” Nyong’o said.
“Kisumu is set to host the FESTAC AFRICA Festival from August 25th to September 1st, 2024. The world will gather in Kisumu to experience the best of African music, fashion, art, and innovation,” Nyongo added.
The event will be held between August 25, 2024, to September 1, 2024, at the Mama Grace Onyango Cultural Social Centre in Kisumu.
The festival which was to be held in May 2024, was postponed following the prolonged floods which affected various parts of the country. Organisers later rescheduled it for August 2024.
“We regret to announce that this festival has now been postponed due to aggravated and unpredictable weather conditions in Kisumu County and the rest of Kenya following heavy rainfall and massive flooding that has killed more than 200 people,” FESTAC chairman Yinka Abioye said.
Some of the venues which were already booked by travelling delegates were flooded in May 2024 and Yinka advised the attendees who had booked their air tickets to reschedule them for August 2024.
The event will feature exhibitions in culture, music, fashion, travel, dance and tourism. The event will also involve displays of African trade, investment, art, craft, sports, poetry and diverse culinary experiences.
About FESTAC festival
The first FESTAC festival was held in Dakar, Senegal in 1966 while the second one was held in 1977 in Nigeria.
The festival was abandoned for 45 years and resumed its activities in 2022.
“The first FESTAC was done in 1966 in Senegal and the second in Nigeria (1977). It died for 45 years and, we resuscitated it. Progressively, we have held it in Zanzibar (2022), and Arusha (2023) and is now set to open in Kisumu (2024),’’ Abioye clarified.
The theme for 2024 FESTAC is sustainable growth trajectory for Africa through culture, trade, travel and tourism with a core focus to educate, empower and embrace using health screening and wellness awareness, mental health, dental health, youth empowerment, education, sports, leadership and entrepreneurship, trade, fashion, art, music and dance to explore Africa and to have fun.