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ZIMBABWEAN FESTIVALS: A GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR GROOVE ON

Victoria Falls Carnival

It is a popular carnival held annually in December. The event is fun filled with three days of continuous entertainment. Participants party their way into New Year celebrating one year ending and a new one beginning. Guests have the opportunity to enjoy the activities Victoria Falls has to offer that include white water rafting, bungee jumping, helicopter flights and an amazing steam train party. The event attracts both local and international artists making it a memorable time and a 3-day pass usually costs $90. 

Harare International Festival of the Arts

The festival takes place in April and May. It is a popular event that unites talents from different nations. The events are spread for over 6 days and open for everyone. It is one of Zimbabwe’s largest arts initiatives and strongly engages prominent local, regional and international artists. The festival aims to help the development of arts and culture and help communicate social and community issues through art.

Shoko Festival

The festival takes place at the end of September. The event celebrates and appreciates local talent. It is a festival celebrating urban culture. Shoko festival features comedy nights, talks, live concerts and discussions. It aims to break down barriers between culture and media and create progress for new urban culture. The festival creates a call of the world’s urban culture movement into the streets from one epic venue. 

Ndau Festival

It is a September festival that takes place in Bangira Village in Chipinge. The aims of the festival are to promote and preserve the Ndau Culture for the future generations to come. The people celebrate local culture through traditional dance, eating local foods and showcasing local crafts. The festival helps in building cultural tourism. A lot of cultural dilution has been taking place in the local communities and the festival stands as a reminder of the unique heritage of the Ndau people. Guests also have the choice to visit the evergreen Chirinda Forest coffee plantations.

Machangani Culture Arts Festival

It is held in the Mahenye Village in September. It showcases the local culture of the Changani people. The Changani people are proud owners of solid traditions and a unique sound culture. The festival aims to pass the unique cultural values, customs and norms to the youths and preserve the heritage and make sure it’s passed on to future generations. The events support different traditions of the Machangani people that include traditional hunting methods, storytelling, male and female initiation to adulthood, bead ware and fishing.

The Great Limpopo Cultural Trade Fair

It is hosted at Gaza Trust by the Centre for Cultural Development Initiative in Chiredzi. It is a three-day event. It showcases indigenous food, beverages, food crops and indigenous medicines. It also focuses on traditional crafts, games and performing arts and wildlife and livestock enterprises. The Trade Fair is a true reflection of cultural creativity, people’s values and their need for a higher level of life. In addition, the event also aims to create local communities that are self-sufficient and sustainable. The event also aims to preserve the rights of the indigenous minority communities and safeguard the natural resources for socio-economic benefit.

World Wood Day Festival

It exhibits local arts and promotes heritage and legacy. It educates local sculptors to be sustainable when producing their art. It is celebrated annually in March. The event stands as a reminder on the significant role played by wood in the sustainable development of local communities and forest conservation. It also reminds the local communities of the responsible uses of wood.

Zimbabwe International Film Festival

It usually takes place around August & September in Harare and aims to facilitate sustainable growth in the film sector by connecting African filmmakers across the continent. It creates a strong stage for excellence in the film industry by adding value to the acts. The Zimbabwean Film industry lacks support and funding from the local people and the festival is there to remind people of the amazing talents the actors have and bring them to life.

Intwasa Arts Festival 

It takes place in Bulawayo in September every year and celebrates the rich and diverse arts of Zimbabwe. The festival shows African rituals from birth, marriage till death. It also showcases popular African art. 

Pfumvudza Festival – Marondera

It is a street carnival where local artists parade and showcase their amazing talents to promote cultural diversity. It takes place in August in Marondera. Pfumvudza is a local term that means time of a new era, beginning and new life. The festival features local dances, presentations and performances from the locals. The aim of the festival is to support art as a means of generating income. The festival also helps to promote the art of the Zimbabwean unemployed youth so that they get a better living.

International Food Festival

This festival is mainly for food lovers. The festival features food competitions, food awards and exhibitions. It unites the incomparable cuisine and chefs around Zimbabwe and abroad to taste the food. Organized by Bio Innovation Zimbabwe and hosted in the Harare Botanical Gardens. 

Chimanimani Arts Festival

The festival takes place every August in Chimanimani. The purpose of the event is to support upcoming and new artists. It is a fun outdoor festival that also allows guests to enjoy the beautiful views of Chimanimani.

Zimbabwe International Book Fair

It is one of the iconic events that presents the diversity of African literature. The event takes place at the beautiful Harare Gardens in the capital city of Zimbabwe. It showcases books, magazines, DVDs and journals. It takes place at the end of July. The event also aims to support upcoming writers through events such as the Writers Workshop. The book fair also markets books published within and outside the African continent.

Midlands Arts & Cultural Festival 

The festival features music, dance, literature, visual arts and film. It is held in the month of September annually. Guests enjoy a cultural tour of Dhlodlo and Nalatale monuments on the first day. Artists from different genres perform at the four-day event. The festival shows the commitment to marketing and nationalization of arts. The festival attracts people of all ages from vibrant youths to the elders.

Lion Lager Summer Beer Festival 

It is a popular festival hosted by Delta Beverages in October that attracts artists from all over the world. This festival is very important to beer lovers as many discounts will be enjoyed by customers. The festival unites beer lovers and helps them share what they love through drinking and music.

Kites for Peace Festival 

It is an annual kite flying event that celebrates the United Nations Day of Peace. The Festival takes place in September. It is a movement for inner peace with special focus on the community. Guests will have the opportunity to fly kites, enjoy a picnic and explore the Botanical Gardens. In flying kites, people pledge to respect all life, reject violence, promote goodwill and preserve the planet. The Kites for Peace movement’s focus is on inspiring joy, peace and hope through kite flying with loved ones.

Zimbabwe Fashion Week

The event is usually held late August. The purpose of the event is to upgrade local fashion and clothing lines to match the international standards. The event showcases the beautiful unique work of models and designers. It also aims to rekindle the textile industry and bring life to it.

Jacaranda Festival

Guests get to enjoy two memorable days of live music from prominent artists. The event usually takes place at the Hellenic Cultural Center with the aim of uniting people through live music. The festival allows people to celebrate the beauty of life and the onset of the summer months. It features free workshops, panel discussions and networking sessions to benefit upcoming and professional artists in the music industry. 

Harare Jazz Festival 

It is a festival that features many prominent Zimbabwean jazz artists. The purpose of the festival is to show the important role played by a genre of music throughout Zimbabwe’s history. The festival usually takes place in September or October and serves as a great reflection of the growth and development of jazz in the country.

Bulawayo Music Festival 

It is a world music and dance festival that takes place in April. The most important part of the festival is to empower young people through musical performances. The festival also aims to bring happiness to the audience through music and inspire local artists. Apart from concerts, there are workshops and lessons where students can get advice from professional musicians. The festival features solo violin, cello and piano recitals.

Jikinya Traditional Dance Festival 

It is a festival hosted by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe. It is one of the only events in the country that urges the youth to take part in Zimbabwean traditional dances to help preserve the nation’s heritage for generations to come. It features traditional dances from primary schools around the country.

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