The University of Manchester’s Manchester Museum brought Africa Day to life with a vibrant, museum-wide event that welcomed visitors to celebrate the richness, diversity and contemporary relevance of African cultures.

Observed annually on 25 May, Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union) in 1963 and is celebrated across the continent and diaspora as a moment of unity, pride and cultural expression. Manchester holds a particularly significant place in this history, having hosted the 1945 Pan-African Congress, which called for an end to colonial rule and racial inequality.

This year’s celebration, held on Saturday 23 May, was delivered in collaboration with Professor Erinma Bell MBE and CARISMA, and formed part of the Manchester Museum Celebrates series. Under the theme Roots and Routes, the programme connected with ideas of heritage, identity, movement and migration, with contributions from artists, performers, facilitators and community partners.

Activities took place across the Museum, offering something for all ages and interests. The Main Hall featured a lively programme of dance and music, from East African and Eritrean performances to Sudanese live music, alongside a formal welcome from the Lord Mayor. Elsewhere, visitors engaged with kora performances, storytelling sessions, and interactive activities including a Mancala tournament and peace-themed art competition.

New for 2026, a Craft and Artisan Fair on the Museum’s Top Floor provided hands-on opportunities to learn directly from makers and creatives. Workshops ranged from drumming, batik printing and jewellery-making to Congolese doll creation and Kente cloth weaving, alongside Ethiopian coffee sessions and wellbeing-focused hairmaking experiences. Outside, Bridgeford Street hosted a busy African food market, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.

The programme also created space for deeper engagement with the Museum’s collections. Visitors could take part in object-based workshops taking a closer look at African collections, attend film screenings and panel discussions, and follow an Africa Day trail highlighting stories connected to Africa across the Museum.

Africa Day is closely connected to Manchester Museum’s care of more than 40,000 items from across Africa, many of which were acquired during the period of the British Empire through complex and often unjust practices. This is part of the Museum’s work to share these collections more openly, and in partnership with diaspora communities find out more about their histories and contemporary meanings.

• You can find out more about the Museum’s ongoing work with African collections here.