Stories and facts

In July 2025, Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts officially launched the Afro-Gastro Festival Programme at Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra, under the guidance of Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie. The initiative provides a platform to celebrate African and diasporic culinary heritage, not just through flavour, but as a form of cultural storytelling, identity, and diplomacy.

Described by the Minister as “the beginning of an important cultural journey,” the programme seeks to explore how food can foster historical memory, unity, and global connection.

Rather than seeing cuisine simply as entertainment, the festival positions food as a refined form of cultural diplomacy, illustrating how culinary traditions can transcend language and cultural divides to foster understanding.

The strength of the Afro-Gastro concept lies in its all-encompassing approach, blending various art forms to create immersive experiences that engage all the senses. The festival includes food exhibitions, cultural performances, theatre, storytelling, workshops, and discussions, all centred on how food can unite people, express identity, and generate economic opportunity.

This rich programme shows an understanding that authentic cultural appreciation involves more than tasting dishes, it requires engagement with the stories, customs, and communities behind them.

Through theatrical performances that illustrate recipe origins, storytelling revealing communal dining traditions, and workshops teaching traditional methods, the event facilitates meaningful cultural exchange rather than surface-level consumption.

The economic impact of such culinary festivals goes beyond immediate tourism, representing a sustainable development tool that can empower local communities while safeguarding cultural authenticity.

Heritage cuisines have become integral to many regions’ tourism offerings, with food tourism now acknowledged as a major growth sector. This shift transforms traditional cooking skills from domestic tasks into valuable economic assets, opening doors for chefs, farmers, and food entrepreneurs to showcase their talents to wider audiences.

The Afro-Gastro Festival sets an example of how cultural events can empower communities economically without compromising their traditions, presenting an alternative to development approaches that force a choice between growth and heritage.

The lasting value of the Afro-Gastro Festival lies not in its annual celebration alone, but in how it reshapes our understanding of the link between culture and development.

In African festivals, traditional food preparation and presentation hold special cultural significance, rooted deeply in history and custom.

By elevating cuisine to a form of cultural expression deserving serious academic, economic, and diplomatic attention, these festivals challenge Western ideas that often dismiss non-European practices as mere folklore instead of recognising them as sophisticated knowledge systems.

The event’s integration of performance, visual art, music, and culinary arts reflects a holistic African approach to culture, resisting narrow categories. While festival formats may evolve, the core commitment to honouring Africa’s rich cultural complexity and contributions remains steadfast, making Afro-Gastro a powerful platform for cultural preservation, economic growth, and global relations.

Discover events happening annually in Ghana below: