Ghana to host maiden West Africa Music and Arts Festival this June

The event, endorsed by the Ghana Tourism Authority and supported by Warner Music Africa, coincides with Ghana’s official Juneteenth celebration. It will feature a music industry conference with panel discussions, workshops, art installations and showcases encompassing genres like Afrobeat, highlife and hip hop. The organisers say the programme will help in the discovery of emerging talent across the continent.

Festival co-founder Jasmine Young said the initiative would aim to strengthen diaspora connections and educate participants about the music and entertainment industries. It would also celebrate the region’s cultural richness globally through community engagement and the arts.

It event adds to a growing list of international arts festivals in the country, such as Chale Wote Street Art Festival, AfroFuture and Black Star Line Festival.

“It’s about creating meaningful connections and inspiring positive change,” Young said. “We invite everyone to join us in Accra for an unforgettable celebration of music, arts and culture that will resonate far beyond the festival grounds.”

Ghana Tourism Authority CEO Akwasi Agyeman added: “We are proud to support the West Africa Music and Arts Festival. This festival not only celebrates our vibrant music and arts scene but also promotes tourism and economic development in our region. We eagerly anticipate welcoming visitors from near and far to immerse themselves in the beauty and creativity of Ghana.”

The West Africa Music and Arts Festival is integrated into the Beyond the Return campaign, a 10-year successor drive to the Year of Return campaign in 2019 that marked the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first recorded enslaved Africans in Jamestown, Virginia, US.

“This festival is more than just a celebration of music and arts; it’s a celebration of our shared heritage and identity as West Africans and the entire African diaspora,” the director of the Beyond the Return secretariat, Annabelle McKenzie, said. “It’s an opportunity to spotlight the astonishing talent and creativity within our shared culture and connect with audiences from Ghana and beyond.”