Ghana’s Easter holiday calendar is becoming more crowded and more contested, as new community festivals in the Central and Ashanti regions challenge the long-held commercial dominance of the Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival and signal a broader shift in how elected officials are approaching culture as an economic tool.
Two events launched this Easter weekend are drawing particular attention. In the Central Region, the Gomoa Easter Carnival, organised by Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central Kwame Asare Obeng, widely known as A Plus, ran from April 2 to 5, 2026, across communities in the constituency. The four-day festival was designed to attract thousands of revellers, tourists, creatives, and business operators, positioning Gomoa as a key destination on Ghana’s festive calendar, with activities including live performances from top Ghanaian artists, cultural dance displays, traditional drumming, food bazaars, art exhibitions, and a grand durbar of chiefs and opinion leaders.
The event carries serious institutional backing. A Plus secured a three-year media partnership with the Multimedia Group Limited, and at the signing expressed ambitions for the carnival to be seen and heard across Ghana and beyond through television, radio, and digital platforms. Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie also endorsed the initiative, describing it as a strategic positioning of the Central Region as the heartbeat of Ghanaian culture and tradition, and pledging government support to the initiative.
A Plus has already set out his next milestone. He announced plans to construct a waterfall in Gomoa ahead of the 2027 edition as part of a broader vision to transform the constituency into a vibrant tourism hub.
Kumasi Launches Its Own Easter Brand
In the Ashanti Region, the Manhyia South constituency is staging its maiden Soloku Festival on Easter Monday, April 6, at Abby’s Park in Kumasi. Organised by Member of Parliament Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the festival is expected to draw over 10,000 people and features a Soloku Dance Competition, cooking competition, street jam sessions, and cultural performances, under the theme “One People! One Vibe.”
Awuah described the festival as more than just a cultural event, saying it is designed to provide a platform for the youth to showcase their talents while reviving cultural identity and fostering a stronger sense of belonging in the constituency. He has pointed to the economic potential, expressing confidence that the Soloku Festival would serve as a catalyst for local commercial activity, including for hotels and vendors in the area.
Kwahu Still the Standard
Neither new event is competing from a standing start against a small rival. The Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival, opened on April 3 under the patronage of President John Dramani Mahama, has built a reputation no marketing campaign alone could manufacture, a recognisable national moment anchored in a specific landscape that people plan for months in advance. Hotels across Mpraeso, Obomeng, and Atibie were reportedly at maximum occupancy weeks before the 2026 launch, and over 1,000 police personnel were deployed across the municipality to manage the crowds.
Afenyo-Markin, speaking on the floor of Parliament, praised the Gomoa Carnival, referencing the Kwahu Easter initiative spearheaded by the late Ferdinand Ayim and its economic benefits, saying the Gomoa effort represented a move worth commending. The Minority Leader also attended the Kwahu Business Forum this Easter weekend.
What is emerging is less a direct battle for the same visitor and more a collective effort to spread Ghana’s Easter economic dividends beyond a single enclave. Whether the Gomoa Carnival and the Soloku Festival can build the consistent programming, infrastructure, and private-sector participation needed to establish themselves as annual fixtures will determine their long-term commercial impact.
