In preparation for the upcoming West African Festival of Arts and Culture (ECOFEST), scheduled for November 2025 in Dakar, a joint delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), and Senegal’s Ministry of Culture has conducted a comprehensive technical mission to assess potential festival venues.
Led by Dr. Emile Zida (ECOWAS) and Dr. Donikpo Koné (UEMOA), the delegation visited key cultural sites across Dakar that are under consideration to host various segments of the festival. The evaluation tour concluded with a high-level technical meeting with Senegalese cultural authorities to review progress on the festival planning and finalize the division of roles and responsibilities.
The official list of selected venues is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
ECOFEST 2025 will be held under the theme:
“Political Change and Crisis in West Africa: What Can Culture Do?”
This edition seeks to position arts and culture as powerful tools for peacebuilding, social cohesion, and regional transformation. Organizers aim to use the festival as a space to reflect on the region’s political shifts and ongoing crises, while celebrating the shared cultural heritage of West African nations.
ECOFEST is one of the region’s flagship cultural events, fostering integration and unity through artistic expression, dialogue, and pan-African solidarity.
