Recent years have been good for the creativity sector, what with the proliferation of art festivals. This year too is one to usher in a vast eventful experience for the public as well as to the growth of the creative industry.

Here are some of the major festivals to look out for this year.

KigaliUp Music Festival
Returning for its seventh edition, this festival —which takes place in July— aims at steadily increasing gradually from a two-day to nearly a week of musical celebration. KigaliUp Music Festival has hosted most local legendary to young musicians on top of regional and international acts from several countries.

Mashariki African Film Festival

Initiated in 2015, the festival aims at nurturing African film and involves a week of film public screenings within Kigali and workshops for local filmmakers. its third edition will take place March 5-11.

Ubumuntu Arts Festival

It stands out as the festival dedicated to humanity. Festival activities include theatre, music, contemporary dance presentations and workshops within artistes, media and the entire public. The festival’s third edition, which is to be held at Kigali’s Amphitheatre July 14-16, will have stage acts for different countries, with messages which teach, question and caution Ubumuntu (Humanity) and what it means.

Isaano Festival

Organised by Isaano and Positive Production in partnership with French Institute in Rwanda, this is dedicated to African live music. It provides a platform for vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers of African origin.

Kina Festival
This biennial event dedicated to children theatre returns this year. Initiated in 2009, the festival held between October and November in Kigali features unique theatre presentations targeting ages 5-10. Also held are conferences with participants from Rwanda and beyond.

Rwanda Christian Film Festival

Being the first platform dedicated to the recognition and acknowledgment of local and international Christian films, Rwanda Christian Film Festival is a steadily growing platform, which annually brings on another face as far as Christian film growth is concerned. The three-day annual festival takes place in December, and has with time attracted countries Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, South Africa, USA, South Korea, whose films are screened too, then finally awarded through a jury.

Kigali Arts Festival

Started in 2015 by a group of young entrepreneurs, this July event brings together artisans like painters, sculpturists, craftsmen, and fashion designers to exhibit and sell their items to the public.

I am Kigali Festival

Following its successful premiere on December 17, 2016, this new entrant coincided with the International Migrants Day. The festival aims to bring together people from various nationalities and backgrounds to celebrate music performances.

Fespad and Umuganura
Pan-African Dance Festival (Fespad) is a platform for celebrating African dance. The event, which was revived last year, is famous for cultural exchange. FESPAD, which takes place in the middle of the year, was merged with Umuganura, a Rwandan national harvest that recognises, celebrates and awards national efforts in various sectors, key among them agriculture. The week-long celebration tours various districts in Rwanda.

Hobe African Festival

The festival, which debuted in January last year, featured traditional and contemporary music, dance, standup comedy, nightclub activations, art and craft exhibitions among others. This two-week festival, which takes place in Kigali, and spreads to various districts countrywide aims at celebrating various African art in entertainment, and has so far mainly, featured Rwanda, DRC and Burundi acts.

Rwanda Film Festival
Also referred to as Hillywood, and founded in 2005, the festival aims at creating a platform where local and international filmmakers and lovers celebrate film, with a core objective of taking Rwanda to the world. Organised under various themes, the week-long festival takes place during July, in Kigali and other districts around the country, where it does film screenings too. RFF has grown from barely featuring a few local films to about 750 films, from over 60 countries currently.

East African Nights of Tolerance (EANT)
Steadily setting awareness for contemporary dance, the festival is another unique platform. Its five editions, which took place in Kigali, have featured various performances from countries Rwanda, France, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Cameroun, Uganda, Belgium, DRC and Tanzania.