Ghana officially launched the 2025 edition of the Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival (PANAFEST) and Emancipation Day celebration on Monday, June 23, at the Accra Tourist Information Centre.
Organised by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), the festival will run from July 17 to August 2, 2025, and will conclude with Emancipation Day commemorations in Assin Manso and Cape Coast.
This year’s theme, “Let Us Speak of Reparative Justice: Pan-African Artistic Activism,” underscores the festival’s continued commitment to cultural restitution, healing, and unity through the arts.
Speaking at the launch, GTA CEO Maame Efua Houadjeto described the event as a strong cultural statement that reaffirms Ghana’s position as the “Gateway to Africa.” Since its inception in 1992, PANAFEST has served as a global platform for reflecting on the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, honouring ancestors, and fostering Pan-African solidarity.
This year, the focus on reparative justice aims to address historical traumas through various creative expressions including drama, visual arts, spoken word, and digital storytelling. The Ghana Tourism Authority, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the PANAFEST Foundation, and international collaborators, will host activities spotlighting voices from the African diaspora through symposia, youth forums, exhibitions, and theatrical reenactments.
Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie, also present at the launch, called on younger generations to reconnect with Africa’s heritage and affirmed Ghana’s commitment to cultural restitution and systemic reform within the reparative justice agenda.
Key festival highlights include:
- Visits to significant heritage sites in Tamale, Salaga, Bono Manso, Elmina, Cape Coast, and Assin Manso
- Emancipation Day rites and a Grand Durbar of Chiefs at Assin Manso’s “last bath” site
- Reverential Night vigil and midnight Emancipation Day declaration
- Naming ceremonies, diaspora return rituals, youth dialogues, academic forums, and a Creative Explosion Concert
- A cultural marketplace celebrating Pan-African creativity
The 2025 edition also aligns with Ghana’s National Reset Agenda, leveraging culture and heritage tourism to drive economic transformation. The launch attracted traditional leaders, diplomats, media, and guests from Barbados, Jamaica, Brazil, and the UK.