By Olimatou Coker
LinkUp Marketing Agency, in partnership with the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), has announced The Gambia’s first national cultural heritage festival, a two-day showcase designed to celebrate the country’s rich cultural diversity, strengthen national unity, and position the nation as a vibrant cultural and tourism destination. Organisers unveiled the plans at a press conference last Friday at the NCAC Conference Hall in Pipeline, confirming the festival will run from the 16th to 17th of this month at the International Conference Center.
According to the organisers, the festival will convene artists, performers, cultural institutions, and creative professionals from across the country to highlight traditional and contemporary expressions—music, dance, fashion, crafts, and storytelling—while creating market opportunities for practitioners and platforms for intergenerational transmission of knowledge. The program is also intended to inspire youth pride and foster a “Gambia-first” ethos at a time of heightened political activity.
Lamin Jawara, Director of LinkUp Marketing Agency, framed the festival as both cultural celebration and national bridge-building. “If you talk about culture, you talk about festivals—there’s so much we need to know and share,” he said. “This is an election year, and while many cultural festivals exist, they are often organised by individual tribes. Our aim is to bring all communities together to celebrate our shared heritage. Gambia belongs to all of us—Gambia first before tribe.”
Welcoming the initiative, Sanna Jarju, Director of Creative Industries at NCAC, described festivals as vital instruments for safeguarding The Gambia’s intangible cultural heritage. “Culture is what we share and what we have,” he said. “In an era of globalisation, festivals help pass traditions from one generation to the next. NCAC remains committed to supporting efforts that protect, promote, and commercialise Gambian culture, and that generate livelihoods for artists and creative professionals.” Jarju added that a token of $100,000 has been approved in support of the event, calling it a tangible signal of government commitment to cultural initiatives: “We know it’s not enough, but it is encouragement and a clear indication of support.”
Outlining the event’s sustainability model, Sosseh Jagne, Manager at LinkUp Marketing Agency, said ticketing will be central to revenue generation. Two-day passes are set at D400 for children, D600 for adults, and D1,200 for VIPs, with table packages also available. She emphasized that transparent, sustainable financing will help the festival scale and endure beyond its inaugural edition.
Organisers underscored that the festival is meant to be inclusive, accessible, and proudly Gambian—bringing together the country’s diverse traditions under one roof, spotlighting excellence, and reinforcing the message that culture is a shared national asset. With NCAC’s institutional backing and a clear emphasis on unity, heritage, and creative enterprise, the event is positioned to become a flagship on the national calendar.
