Africa has thousands of festivals, ceremonies and community celebrations, but only a fraction is widely known outside their home regions.
Some celebrate harvests or new year's. Others preserve ancient religious traditions, fishing cultures, music, food and oral history. Several have also received international recognition through UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage programme.
Here are 10 African festivals that deserve far more attention.
1. Gifaataa in Ethiopia
Gifaataa is the New Year festival of the Wolaita people of Ethiopia.
UNESCO inscribed the festival on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2025. It takes place between mid-September and early October.
Before the celebrations begin, people clean their surroundings and return home to spend the occasion with their families.
2. Shuwalid in Ethiopia
Shuwalid is a three-day festival celebrated by the Harari people of Ethiopia.
It marks the end of six days of fasting intended to compensate for omissions during Ramadan.
UNESCO describes celebrations involving spiritual songs, scripture readings, music, dance and blessings. It was inscribed in 2023.
3. Fichee-Chambalaalla in Ethiopia
The Sidama people celebrate Fichee-Chambalaalla as their New Year festival.
UNESCO inscribed the tradition in 2015.
The celebration is connected to the Sidama calendar and involves community gatherings, traditional food, songs and ceremonies. It also provides a setting where cultural knowledge is passed between generations.
4. Oshituthi Shomagongo in Namibia
This unusual festival revolves around the marula fruit.
The celebration lasts two to three days and brings together eight Aawambo communities in northern Namibia.
Participants gather marula fruit and produce omagongo, a fermented beverage. UNESCO notes that the preparation also involves traditional baskets, clay pots, wooden goblets and tools made from cattle horns.
5. Sango Festival in Nigeria
The Sango Festival takes place in Oyo and is associated with the Yoruba traditional New Year.
UNESCO describes it as a ten-day festival connected to the historical Oyo Empire and the Yoruba deity Sango, associated with thunder and lightning.
The festival includes chanting, storytelling, drumming and dancing and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2023.
6. Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival in Nigeria
In northwestern Nigeria, communities gather annually near the Matan Fada River for the Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival.
The event combines a major fishing competition with cultural activities.
UNESCO added it to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016.
7. Cherry Festival in Sefrou, Morocco
Morocco has a festival dedicated to cherries.
The Cherry Festival of Sefrou takes place over three days in June and includes a parade featuring performers, musicians, bands, floats and local producers.
The festival also includes the selection of a Cherry Queen. UNESCO inscribed it in 2012.
8. Moussem of Tan-Tan in Morocco
The Moussem of Tan-Tan is an annual gathering associated with nomadic peoples of the Sahara.
UNESCO records that the event historically brought together more than 30 tribes from southern Morocco and other parts of northwest Africa.
Trading, camel and horse competitions, weddings and other social activities formed part of the gathering.
9. Ethiopian Epiphany
Ethiopian Epiphany, known as Timkat, is celebrated across Ethiopia every January.
UNESCO says hundreds of thousands participate in the main festival, which follows ceremonies beginning the previous evening.
Priests carry replicas of the Ark of the Covenant known as tabots, while the celebrations include prayers, music, processions and the blessing of water. UNESCO inscribed the tradition in 2019.
10. Marula Festivals Across Southern Africa
Marula festivals are not limited to one country.
UNESCO documents related celebrations in Namibia, Angola, Eswatini, Mozambique and South Africa.
In Namibia, Oshituthi shomagongo is particularly associated with marula fruit and the preparation of omagongo. The wider tradition demonstrates how a single indigenous fruit can connect cultural practices across national borders.
These festivals show how varied African celebrations can be. Some are tied to agricultural calendars, others to religion, traditional authority, food, fishing or ancient community histories.
UNESCO currently records 118 intangible cultural heritage elements inscribed by African states, illustrating just how much living cultural heritage exists beyond the festivals most frequently seen in international media.
