A brand new music and tourism festival is coming to the world’s fifth most dangerous country (according to the Global Peace Index’s 2024 ranking), in new evidence of the power of music to drive travel and cultural exchanges and transformation.
The first ever World Music and Tourism Festival in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, is set to take place from 16-18 July 2025, in a collaboration between President Félix Tshisekedi’s government and UN Tourism. It represents, according to a press release, “a unique opportunity to promote the DRC destination,” and will showcase the Congolese Rumba, which was recognised on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in December 2021.
Programme and venues
Traditional, urban, folk will also feature at the event, through “rhythmic and immersive performances from around the world” as well as a series of roundtables, addressing music as a unifying art form, issues related to copyright and intellectual property, the dynamization of destinations, the digital revolution, and the role that young people play in innovation and the promotion of musical heritage.
Venues include the newly inaugurated Centre Culturel des Arts – a 93,000m2 complex financed through millions of Chinese and US dollars – as well as the Palais du Peuple, inspired by the architecture of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and the recently transformed Gare Centrale area.
In addition to the gigs and panel events, the itinerary also offers a major food fair presenting cultural and gastronomic “treasures”; an exhibition park with arts, crafts, and fashion stands; guided tours of the city of Kinshasa; and excursions on the iconic Congo River.
Promoting Brand Africa and South-South ties
The DRC is launching the festival at a key moment for music and the travel and tourism sector, in the wake of a new report by Grand View Research that projects 18.8% growth in music travel worldwide over the next five years, amid increasing fan engagement with their favourite artists and iconic events, as well as surging investment in festivals and gigs by governments and tourism authorities.
Organisers emphasise that the initiative is “fully in line” with the priorities of the UN Tourism Agenda for Africa and the goal of Tourism for Inclusive Growth. A vision document sets out how the festival is designed to advocate for Brand Africa, promote cultural heritage and innovation, and empower young people.
Through its exploration of rumba, it also aims to strengthen so-called “South-South” ties, presenting different forms of artistic expression and cooperation between Africa and the Americas, and consolidating links between Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and beyond. Registrations for the event close on 27 June 2025.
