Immerse yourself in the energy, richness and vibrancy of African culture when Manchester Museum joins the rest of the world in celebrating Africa Day on 25 May 2025.
Experience African music, dance, fashion and food, while learning about Africa’s story through talks, workshops and opportunities to engage with the Museum’s African collections.
Africa Day is an annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), today known as the African Union, on 25 May 1963.
For Africans on the continent and in the diaspora, Africa Day signifies unity, pride in being African, and an opportunity to celebrate their heritage by donning traditional outfits and putting on vibrant displays of culture and diversity.
Significantly, Manchester is a very important city for Africans because it hosted the Pan African Congress at Chorlton-on-Medlock Town Hall in 1945, intended to address the decolonisation of Africa from Western imperial powers. The congress demanded an end to colonial rule and racial discrimination as well as the recognition of human rights and equality of economic opportunity for all peoples of African heritage.
Manchester Museum contains cultural heritage objects from different African countries in its collection and they aim at making their stories visible by collaborating with African diasporans going forward.
