The annual season of African music and culture in Germany is in full swing. Here are the Top Festivals you don’t want to miss before summer ends:
Kenako-Festival Berlin
25 July – 3 August/ Berlin, Washingtonplatz (directly in front of Berlin Hauptbahnhof)
The flair of the African cultures comes to Berlin! Visitors can buy handmade art, clothing, cosmetics and food at the bazaar. The stage offers a cultural program of music, dance and theatre. In addition, What does Africa engagement look like in Germany? You will find answers to these and many more questions at the Kenako Festival as numerous organizations, associations and initiatives from all over Germany present their projects around Africa and the African diaspora.
African Music Festival Emmendingen
31 July – 3 August / Emmendingen, Schlossplatz
The festival celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. What began as a modest gathering has blossomed into a cultural institution of international significance. Now, as it marks this milestone, the festival steps confidently into a new era — elevated, expansive, and more vibrant than ever.
Under this year’s jubilee motto, “Music Unites,” the festival celebrates music as a powerful force that transcends borders, cultures,and generations. The program bridges past and future, embodying the essence of what it means to grow — and to keep growing.
Each day of the festival promises a musical highlight to remember. On stage: top-tier artists including Ghanaian superstar Stonebwoy, legendary Jamaican reggae group Morgan Heritage, Germany’s own Gentleman and Marley’s Ghost feat. Dellé, the iconic frontman of SEEED — along with many other internationally renowned performers.
Get ready for a world-class, diverse program that’s as exciting as it is unforgettable!
Nollywood Film Festival
8 – 9 August/Frankfurtam Main, Goethe Universität
The Nigerian home-grown film industry, known globally as Nollywood, has a date with its fans in Germany again in August. The festival will be crowned with the Nollywood E-Golden Awards at which selected industry practitioners who “have played important roles in making Nollywood what it has become today” will be honoured. A-list stand-up comedians, cultural dancers and Nigerian hip-hop performances will also feature at the awards event.
http://www.nollywoodawards.com/

Alafia–Afrika Festival Hamburg
22 – 24 August / Hamburg, Große Bergstrasse
Alafia stands for peace, tolerance and openness. With rhythmic music, individual craftsmanship and delicacies from different countries, the festival brings together the cultures of the African continent in Hamburg. “For political and symbolic reasons, it is important to us to present Black music, political discourse, and the Black Albarika Market publicly in the very heart of the city,” the organisers say. “In doing so, we send a clear message against racism and discrimination, and underline the need for an international festival in the centre of Hamburg, a Free and Hanseatic City that proudly embraces its identity as a multicultural metropolis. This is our stand — for an open and inclusive society!”
MitAfrika Festival
22 – 24 August / Cologne, Schockoladenmuseum
Expected bright sunshine will attract many visitors to the “MitAfrika” festival at the Chocolate Museum. Culinary and arts and crafts as well as many colourful colours and children’s attractions. Many participants may also take the opportunity to participate in the drum and dance workshops of Mama Afrika.

Afrika Film Festival Köln
18 – 28 September /Cologne
In its 22nd year, the festival will present films from Africa and its diaspora and play hosts to international filmmakers. In addition to the screenings, podium discussions, featuring directors, will debate the current standing of the African filmmaking world.
FilmInitiativ Köln e.V. has organised the festival themed Jenseits von Europa – Filme aus Afrika (Out of Europe – Films from Africa) since 1992. More than 500 films from 40 African countries have been shown in Cologne at the biennial festival and the film specials held during the years in between.
AFRIKAMERA
November/Berlin, Kino Arsenal
By presenting current films by African directors, AFRIKAMERA aims to immerse its visitors in the cultural, historical, social, religious and political consciousness of contemporary Africa. AFRIKAMERA cooperates with the major African film festivals, from Ouagadougou (with FESPACO) to Marrakech and Durban, in order to present African cinema in all its diversity
© AfricanCourierMedia