KeNaKo – Africa Festival Berlin
Africa's cultures and political debates at the main station
About KeNaKo Africa Festival
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a KeNaKo Africa Festival al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Berlin's Largest Africa Festival
The KeNaKo Africa Festival has been organized by Afrika Medien Zentrum e.V. in Berlin for over a decade and is one of the most renowned Africa festivals in German-speaking countries. The name KeNaKo comes from isiZulu and means "that's it" – a call to make African reality visible in its diversity, beyond media clichés.
Content and Themes
The festival combines three dimensions that rarely come together in one place in Berlin:
- Culture – Live concerts with musicians from across the continent and the African diaspora, dance performances, theatre
- Market – curated market with arts and crafts, fashion, cosmetics, jewellery, and culinary specialties from all regions of Africa
- Education and Debate – workshops, readings, film screenings, and panels as part of the Global Learning project; topics range from post-colonialism and climate justice to conflict dynamics
New Location: Washingtonplatz
Since 2025, the festival has been held at Washingtonplatz directly at Berlin Central Station – one of the most central squares in the city between Mitte and Tiergarten. This gives KeNaKo significantly higher visibility than at previous locations on Alexanderplatz and consciously reaches passers-by who are not specifically travelling for an Africa festival.
Political Orientation
KeNaKo explicitly sees itself as a political festival. The focus is on annually changing priorities concerning the relations between the Global North and Africa: post-colonial heritage, climate, migration, conflicts, and their colonial roots. The festival is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and other institutions.
Free and Open
Admission is free. This makes KeNaKo particularly accessible and is visited multiple times by many Berliners over ten days.
KeNaKo Africa Festival — edition 2026
Motto 2026: Peace in Times of Global Warfare
The KeNaKo Africa Festival 2026 focuses on the motto "Peace in Times of Global Warfare." With this, the organizer draws attention to an asymmetric media focus: while European conflicts are widely reported, wars and conflicts on the African continent receive less visibility in German media – even though millions of people are affected by violence, displacement, and hunger.
Program Structure over Eleven Days
The festival runs over two weekends plus the week in between. During the day, the market opens at Washingtonplatz; live concerts, dance and theatre performances alternate on the main stage. Accompanying this are workshops, film screenings, and readings focusing on Global Learning – a central educational policy strand of the festival.
Market and Culinary Delights
Around dozens of exhibitors sell handmade art, clothing, cosmetics, and jewellery from all regions of Africa, as well as culinary specialties – from West African curries to Ethiopian Injera. Many stalls are run by African diaspora communities in Berlin and Brandenburg.
Programme KeNaKo Africa Festival 2026
The complete daily program for 2026 will be published on kenako-festival.de. Basic structure:
First Weekend (June 4–7, 2026)
- Opening with a welcome by the organizer Afrika Medien Zentrum e.V.
- Live concerts and dance performances on the main stage
- Market open from morning to evening
- Workshops and film screenings as part of Global Learning
Midweek (June 8–11, 2026)
- Educational program: school workshops, readings, film discussions
- Thematic panels on peace, conflict, and post-colonialism
- Market open throughout
Second Weekend (June 12–14, 2026)
- Main concert evenings with African and diaspora acts
- Dance, theatre, and performance program
- Closing panel on the festival motto
Exact artist names, workshop topics, and times can be found in the official program booklet and on berlin.de.
Highlights KeNaKo Africa Festival 2026
Prices KeNaKo Africa Festival 2026
Practical information — KeNaKo Africa Festival
Getting There
S+U Berlin Hauptbahnhof (S3, S5, S7, S9, U5, several bus lines and trams) – Washingtonplatz directly at the north exit.
Admission
Free admission. Donations to support the festival are welcome.
Organizer
Afrika Medien Zentrum e.V., funded by BMZ and other institutions.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
Max. 5 photos, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Each suggestion is reviewed by our team before being published.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a KeNaKo Africa Festival al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Where it takes place KeNaKo Africa Festival
Washingtonplatz am Berliner Hauptbahnhof, Mitte
Washingtonplatz, 10557 Berlin