Zanzibar, Tanzania — Events
Zanzibar Cultural Festival
Drawing contributions from artists and performers from other African countries such as Mozambique, Kenya and the Comoro Islands, the Zanzibar Cultural Festival is a popular annual event with a predominantly local flavor. Expressive of Tanzania’s rich cultural diversity, the festival showcases traditional and contemporary dance, music, arts and crafts with Taarab music featuring strongly and many of the dances rooted in ancient tribal rituals connected with the many stages of a human life and royal ceremonies.
Sauti Za Busara Music Festival
East Africa’s finest music festival, the Sauti Za Busara (sounds for wisdom) Festival, plays out annually in central Stone Town, with enlivening music, poetry and dance acts from Africa’s most dazzling talent. Five years in the running, the festival demonstrates current musical trends in the Swahili-speaking region and other contemporary trends from Kenya to West Africa. Festival favorites include Taarab, a blend of African and Arabian influences and acts such as Yunasi, a Kenyan Afro-fusion band and Mrisho Mpoto, one of Tanzania’s leading poets and storytellers.
Zanzibar International Film Festival
The Zanzibar International Film Festival claims to be the biggest cultural event in East Africa. It is a celebration of the various East African and Middle Eastern cultures with a variety of expressions not limited to film, but including music, literature and dancing. The event takes place on the wonderful island of Zanzibar where dhows permanently dot the beautiful green blue water.
