MASA 2026: Abidjan Gears Up for Major Celebration of African Performing Arts

The biennial MASA festival, first established in 1990, has grown into one of Africa’s most important cultural gatherings for live performance disciplines including theatre, music, dance and hybrid arts. The event’s goal is to strengthen the capacity of African performing arts professionals and facilitate access to both continental and international markets.

Artists from more than 50 African countries

For its 2026 edition, the festival will feature artists from more than 50 African countries, presenting a variety of shows that blend tradition, innovation and contemporary creativity. The programming includes theatre, contemporary dance, traditional and contemporary music, poetry and multidisciplinary performances.

Among the highlights is the theatre production “Les Fugueuses,” a play co‑produced with the Tunisian National Theatre and Ostoura Productions, which explores emotional narratives set in a train station environment.

Artists such as Nanda Slam Poésie will also represent their nations on the MASA stage, bringing poetry and slam performance from Gabon to one of Africa’s most vibrant cultural platforms.

In addition to performances, MASA offers professional networking opportunities for artists, cultural agents, programmers and institutions, fostering collaborations, co‑productions and cultural exchange that contribute to the economic and social impact of the arts across Africa.

The theme for this year, “African performing arts: tools for economic and social integration,” underscores the festival’s ambition to make the arts a force for cohesion, growth and cultural dialogue. As MASA 2026 unfolds in Abidjan, the event is set to reinforce the city’s status as a dynamic cultural capital on the continent while celebrating the richness of African artistic expression.