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Ghana has kicked off a week of pan-African celebrations with a colourful welcome cocktail at the Labadi Beach Hotel to honour the legacy of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The Sunday evening event, held under the theme “Kente and Calabash,” was jointly organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the FESTAC Africa Renaissance Festival.
It marked both Nkrumah’s birthday and the official start of the 2025 FESTAC Africa activities in Accra.
Reading a statement on behalf of the sector minister, Maame Efua Houadgeto said the gathering reflected the enduring strength of African culture and unity.
“The Kente, woven with meaning and persistence, speaks of our heritage, while the Calabash, a vessel of sharing, symbolises unity and continuity,” she said.
“Together, they reflect the essence of diverse cultures bound by a shared identity. May this evening set the perfect tone for the celebrations ahead.”
Houadgeto stated that while guests mingled in Accra, the minister and a delegation were in Nkroful, Nkrumah’s birthplace, for a durbar in his honour.
Chairman of FESTAC Africa, Engineer Yinka, traced the history of the pan-African arts festival to the 1960s, when newly independent states sought cultural solidarity.
“The first festival was held in 1966 in Dakar, Senegal,” he recalled. “Nigeria eventually hosted the second in 1977, drawing over half a million people at a time when there was no internet or cell phones. After that, the festival collapsed and died for 45 years. We have resurrected it never to die again.”
FESTAC returned in Zanzibar in 2022, moved to Tanzania in 2023, Kenya in 2024. “By the grace of God, 2025 we’re here in Ghana,” Yinka added.
The welcome cocktail also served as an informal curtain-raiser for a packed week of activities.
According to organisers, the Accra edition will feature art exhibitions, musical performances, cultural dialogues and visits to historical sites that shaped Nkrumah’s Pan-African vision. Delegations from across Africa and the diaspora are expected to participate, making Ghana a focal point for conversations on heritage and creativity.
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