The eighth edition of the National Festival of Traditional Dances (FESNAD) in Togo was officially inaugurated on April 3, 2025, in Kara, during a ceremony led by the region’s governor, Adjitowou Komlan. This significant cultural event reflects the authorities’ commitment to highlighting the nation’s rich intangible heritage.
Organized by the Ministry of Communication, Media, and Culture, through the Directorate for the Promotion of Arts and Culture, this year’s festival carries the theme: “Our dances, our identity, our pride.” According to the ministry, this theme encapsulates the government’s goal of embedding traditional dance practices into the collective memory and ensuring their transmission, especially in an era where societal, urban, and media changes are diminishing their role in Togolese society.
The governor of the Kara region emphasized that traditional dances serve more than just an aesthetic purpose; they play a crucial role in shaping community life by fostering a sense of belonging, promoting solidarity, and reinforcing the connections among various social groups.
This edition will feature a competition that will unite folk groups from different administrative regions of the country. Each region will conduct local selections to choose a representative who will compete in the national final, set to take place in Lomé on April 26, coinciding with the celebration of Togo’s 65th independence anniversary.
See more: Lomé Airport: 1.5 million passengers recorded in 2024, against a backdrop of a 6% increase
This artistic competition aims to encourage creativity while preserving traditional dance forms that are at risk of fading away, often overshadowed by cultural globalization and the decline of community practices, as noted by the organizers.
FESNAD is thus positioned as a means of recognizing heritage and fostering national unity.
