Preparations are in full swing at DHR this week for the Africa Day 2016 flagship event, for which we provide PR and event management support. Since 2008, DHR has been working with Irish Aid at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the driving force behind the celebrations in Ireland, to help put together the flagship festival.
This year’s Africa Day Dublin flagship event takes place on Sunday, 29th May, from 11am to 6pm, at Farmleigh Estate in the Phoenix Park. Attendees at this free, family-friendly event will get to experience live musical performances across three stages – Kwassa Kwassa, Atilogwu, and Malaika – as well as kids’ activities, dance, spoken word performances and storytelling. Kíla are the main stage (Kwassa Kwassa) headliners. Other musical acts to look forward to include Feather, Ájo Arkestra, NC Grey, DJ Daley, Pop Dogg, DJ Wax, Yankari, Kirru, and Jafaris, to name only a few.
Over in the Dance Zone there’ll be drumming and dance performances, including a tribal belly dancing performance by The Zoryanna, who will be teaching a few steps to the audience following their performance. The Dance Zone will also house a number of workshops, including two in African drumming, two creative writing classes for children, and two language exchange lessons. On the day, you can also attend a spoken word performance by Clara Rose Thornton, and storytelling that will appeal to adults and children alike, in both the Arkle Room and the Motor House.
Across in the kids’ zone, Mount Kiddimanjaro, there’ll be loads of fun family and children’s activities. Some of the many activities taking place here include hair braiding, henna hand tattoos, funfair rides and Irish Aid’s ‘Bang the Drum’ workshop. The Malaika stage is also located here.
There’ll also be a host of NGOs and African community groups and traders providing interactive activities throughout the day in the African Bazaar area, Marrakech. One of the big activities taking place here is the TRITEES’ ‘Best Dressed’ competition. With prizes for ‘Best Dressed Family’, ‘Best Dressed Female’, and ‘Best Dressed Male’, all who attend the event dressed in traditional African attire are invited to sign-up at the TRITEES stall in Marrakech on the day. All entrants will also take part in a colourful fashion parade throughout the festival site, starting in Marrakech and culminating with the announcement of the winners on the Malaika stage in Mount Kiddimanjaro at 4.15pm. The Kwassa Kwassa stage can also be found here in Marrakech.
Sunday’s flagship event will be easily accessible as Dublin Bus will be providing free shuttle buses to and from Farmleigh on the day. These will run every half hour from Parkgate Street from 11am to 6pm.
Nearly 30,000 people attend last year’s event and the celebration this year is sure to be great fun for friends, families and culture enthusiasts alike. You can see the full Dublin flagship event listing here.
There are also a number of regional events taking place in Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford.