The Azgo Festival, one of the most prestigious international arts festival in Mozambique will be on in Maputo this May starting on the 21st and running until the 23rd. Bringing a diverse program of quality music, film and dance to the city of Maputo, Azgo is a contemporary celebration of arts and culture, with a strong focus on artists from Mozambique and across the African continent. The 2025 edition takes place at the Franco-Mozambican Cultural Centre (CCFM) and XHUB – Cultural and Creative Business Incubator in Maputo, bringing together national and international voices for three days of debates, workshops and networking sessions.
The festival which started in 2011 serves as a platform for emerging and acclaimed artists to collaborate and meet a new audience. The name “Azgo” is an old Maputo slang for “let’s go”, “let’s” revisit our cultures and heritage, “let’s” promote cultural diversity, “let’s” promote arts and culture, Let’s Go…
One of the major highlights of the AZGO Festival this year will be the AZGODIALOGAR forum, a platform for reflection and training on the paths of professionalization and transformation of the music industry in Mozambique and beyond borders. The forum will feature discussions and debates led by music business professionals and creatives from across Africa. Some of the guests who have been confirmed include notable names such as Phiona Okumu (Spotify Africa Music), Jiggs Thorne (Director of Bushfire and Luju Festivals, Eswatini and member of Arts Connect Africa), Maggie Doherty (Art agent, France), Hortense Volle (RFI journalist), Paulo Chibanga (Founder of AZGO Festival), Paulo Sithoe (Director do Festival Marrabenta), Reps from The Orchard, global musical content distributor.AZGODIALOGAR is an initiative of Khuzula, funded by the Fund Création Africa – Mozambique (Embassy of France), in partnership with the World Bank, Embassy of the European Union, Creatifi, CCFM and French Institute.
The experts at the forum will be offering their insights on topics such as Artistic Careers Management, Musicians circulation in regional and international markets, Copyright and sustainable models, Digital platforms and innovation, the role of festivals in promoting cultural diversity, among other topics of interest in the creative industry on the African continent.
The closing of the festival on May 23 will be marked by a vibrant showcase featuring performances by artists from several provinces in Mozambique such as Cheny Wa Gune, The Kassimbos Band (Niassa), Marrove Band (Nampula),Xixel Langa, Radjha Ally among other local and international artistes
Arts Connect Africa congratulates Paulo Chibanga, the founder of the AZGO Festival, and our member from Mozambique and Julia Novela, Co-Founder of the AZGO Festival in anticipation of a successful festival. We are looking forward to a good time in Maputo, particularly at the forum where we will be following the invited guests to learn from them in line with our goals of training African professionals, culture exchange and financial impact.
To learn more about the AZGO festival visit https://azgofestival.com/sobre-o-festival/ you can also follow the festival live and find out more information on Facebook Instagram and Twitter/X
