Ghana’s two-day Culture Week celebration concluded on Saturday at the National Theatre in Accra, bringing to a climax a series of cultural displays, policy discussions, and heritage exhibitions that drew attention to the country’s creative industries, while a new wave of cultural activities is set to begin as early as Monday with a follow-on event organised by the capital’s city assembly.
The 2026 Ghana Culture Week, held on March 13 and 14, was themed “Resetting Ghana’s Tourism, Culture and Creative Ecosystem” and featured high-level discussions, art exhibitions, traditional dance performances, and displays of Ghana’s textile heritage, including the handwoven Kente cloth and the Fugu smock.
Ghana’s culinary tradition featured prominently, with 69 traditional dishes presented at a food fair to mark the 69th anniversary of the country’s independence. Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie described Ghana’s cultural heritage as something to be lived daily, not confined to a single week or month.
Organisers framed Culture Week not only as a celebration but as a strategic dialogue on how to modernise the country’s creative sector and make it globally competitive. Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Chief Executive Officer Maame Efua Houadjeto said the event served as a call to action to strengthen collaboration across the tourism, culture and creative ecosystem, and emphasised the need for strategic marketing and branding to attract international investment.
Celebrations Continue This Week and Beyond
The momentum from Culture Week feeds directly into an expanded calendar of activity. Starting Monday, March 16, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) will host a four-day “Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana Week” at the assembly’s forecourt, running through Thursday, March 19. The programme will feature a Corporate Ghana Day on Monday, a “Rep Your Region” cultural showcase on Tuesday, Fugu Day with traditional games on Wednesday, and a cooking competition on Thursday highlighting Ghanaian dishes. Accra Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey has called on traders and residents across the capital to participate.
The Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council has also announced Kente Week celebrations from March 23 to 31 as part of the broader AshantiFest 2026 programme, culminating in a grand finale on March 31 at the Kumasi Cultural Centre featuring a Traditional Food Fair and a Music and Jama Festival.
Ghana’s cultural season will extend well beyond its own borders this year. Ghana has accepted an invitation to serve as Guest Country at Burkina Faso’s 22nd National Culture Week, scheduled for April 22 to May 2 in Bobo-Dioulasso. The invitation was extended by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, with Ghana’s participation expected to spotlight local creatives, expand exhibition platforms, and promote trade within the creative arts sector.
This year’s cultural programming forms part of the broader Ghana Heritage Month initiative launched on March 2 at Nationalism Park, which is supported by UNESCO and anchored on the theme “Experience Ghana, My Heritage, My Pride,” encouraging Ghanaians and visitors alike to eat, wear, and feel Ghanaian throughout the month.
