Botswana’s Maitisong Festival

The country of Botswana is home to one of the largest celebrations of tradition and culture in the entire region of Southern Africa.  The Maitisong Festival is its name, and for nearly two weeks in April, the city comes alive with performances of music, drama and more.  It was first put together in 1987 to celebrate the construction of the building for which the festival is now named.  It was so popular that they decided to keep it going, and it has since grown every year, eventually becoming the largest performing arts festival in the country.

Maitisong takes place in the country’s capital city of Gaborone and the performances are held at many different venues throughout the city.  Types of entertainment one can expect to find at the festival include theater, comedy, film showings, fashion shows, debates, poetry, dance and music. These performances consist of both traditional acts and those featuring themes from other places around the world.

There are two ways to see the festival, if you decide to go. There are the outdoor venues, which are held at four locations throughout the city and are free to attend. And there are the indoor venues, which are held at a number of locations and require ticket purchases to attend. Naturally, the indoor shows feature the more famous acts.

Performers are mostly local and of varying degrees of fame, from the well-known to the talented just beginning to break ground and looking for a place to make their name. But local is not the only offering, as acts have come from as far away as China and the United States to take part in Maitisong.

The party-like atmosphere that the city takes on it reminiscent of Mardi Gras, with people celebrating in the streets and pulling out the stops when it comes to having fun.  Naturally, stalls are set up throughout the city to sell food and libations and keep the party going.  This year, Maitisong Festival takes place from April 9-20.  It’s almost here, so if you happen to be roaming though Southern Africa during this time, be sure to stop by and enjoy this multi-cultural celebration. You can also check out the Maitisong website for more information about what acts they have lined up for the 2013 event.

Maitisong logo courtesy of maitisong.org