“Stage as Our Story”: Kano Theatre Festival Revives an Ancient Theatrical Legacy
By Ahmad Muhammad Danyaro
The stage is set once again for Kano to shine. Kano city is living up to its billing as the entertainment and culture hub of the Sahel with the first-of-its-kind ‘Kano Theatre Festival’ (KTF). Tagged “Stage as Our Story,” this epoch event promises to celebrate culture, creativity, connectivity, and collaborations for two days at Gidan Dan Hausa and Mambayya House.
As one of Africa’s oldest cities, Kano has been a vibrant centre of culture, commerce, scholarship, and faith for over a thousand years. This history has fostered a rich tradition of oral and performative arts deeply embedded in its social and spiritual life. Here, performing arts are not merely entertainment; they are vehicles of history, spirituality, moral teaching, and communal identity. From royal courts to village squares, from Sufi lodges (Zawiya) and choir groups to youth drama clubs, Kano’s stages have long been the theatre of the people’s collective story.
According to the organizers, the vibrant two-day extravaganza from November 15-16, 2025, will thrill Kanawa and their visitors alike with varieties of excitement across traditional theatre, spiritual music, dance troupes, poetry, spoken word, live performances, masterclasses, and exhibitions. The lineup includes royal court dramas, storytelling, koroso dance, tashe, wasannin dandali, and dambe wrestling. The festival will also function as a roadshow, with businesses buzzing with vendors and spectators, making it a truly immersive experience.
At a recent media parley, the festival’s curator, Musa Sunusi Ahmad, noted that Nigeria has abundant talent making huge impacts across the world. Hence, the Kano Theatre Festival aims to revive, showcase, and sustain these traditions, making the stage a vibrant space where Kano’s heritage is both preserved and reimagined. It seeks to celebrate creatives, promote the richness of Hausa theatre, and bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary performances, fostering cultural exchange and collaboration.
The lead partner for this maiden edition is Brand–Age Media Consult through its Tashar Al’ada online TV. This involvement underscores the firm’s commitment to youth development within the arts and cultural ecosystem. The Chief Operating Officer, Samir Abba, said, “We are delighted to be a part of this first edition. This partnership avails us the opportunity to contribute to nation building and support the entire creative arts value chain, enabling the next generation of creative giants to thrive.”
Beyond the artistic showcase, the festival will offer workshops, masterclasses, and panel discussions led by seasoned professionals, providing invaluable learning opportunities. Attendees can also explore a vibrant marketplace featuring theatre-related merchandise.
KTF 2025 promises to be an unforgettable, family-friendly experience, bringing together theatre enthusiasts, performers, and culture lovers. It is poised to make a significant contribution to the local economy by driving growth in the creative industry, generating employment, and boosting tourism. This maiden edition creates short-term opportunities for stagehands, sound engineers, and event managers, while opening long-term doors for productions that go on tour. With Tashar Al’ada, the festival guarantees high visibility, media coverage, and networking opportunities.
The Kano Theatre Festival is a vital cultural initiative that reconnects us with a rich legacy of faith-centered, morally grounded, and community-rooted performing arts. By restoring the stage as a space of history, spirituality, and learning, the festival does more than entertain; it renews the bonds between past and future, faith and art, community and individual. It is a necessary step in ensuring that Kano’s story, told through theatre, continues to inspire generations and secure our cultural identity. The Stage is set, Barka da zuwa Kano Theatre Festival.
Danyaro is a Media and Communications Specialist based in Abuja and can be reached via: [email protected]