Kenako Afrika Festival

Eleven Days of Africa at the Main Station

„Kenako“ in isiZulu roughly means „It's time“ — and that gives the festival its programmatic claim: It's time to make the diversity of Africa and its diaspora visible in Berlin. Organized by Afrika Medien Zentrum e. V., the Kenako Festival has been a regular summer fixture in Berlin's calendar since 2013 and is the capital's largest African open-air festival — right on Washingtonplatz behind the main station, in the Mitte district.

11th Edition from June 4th to 14th, 2026

In 2026, the 11th edition runs from June 4th to 14th — eleven days straight, with a daytime program and evening stage concerts. The venue is Washingtonplatz, one of Berlin's most central squares, right at the entrance of the main station. Admission is free.

African Market and Main Stage

Programmatically, the festival rests on two pillars: an African market with about a hundred stalls — handicrafts, fashion, cosmetics, jewelry, sculptures, culinary specialties from West, East, North, South, and Central Africa — and a main stage with a dense cultural program: concerts ranging from Highlife, Afrobeat, Soukous, Amapiano, classical West African music to Hip-Hop and R&B from the diaspora, plus dance performances and theatre productions.

Global Learning — Workshops, Readings, Films

A dedicated „Global Learning“ program focuses on educational work: workshops with female artists and activists, readings by African female authors, film screenings, and moderated discussion rounds on topics such as post-colonialism, climate justice, pan-African identity, and Berlin's diaspora politics. This clearly positions Kenako as a politically aware educational and cultural platform — not a folkloric showcase.

Organization and Location

The organizer is Afrika Medien Zentrum e. V., which has been organizing Africa-related media, cultural, and educational work in Berlin for years. The location at Washingtonplatz in the Mitte district in the state of Berlin guarantees a broad, international mix in the audience: tourists from the main station who end up here just for the market meet Berliners from the African community and the festival's regular audience.