December 26, 2025: Hey, world wanderers and culture chasers! If you’re scrolling from New York, London, or Lagos, drop everything because Ghana is serving up the ultimate festive feast right now.

Detty December – that glorious, glittery chaos where “detty” (short for “dirty” in the best, party-hard way) meets deep-rooted heritage – is in full swing. As we hit the halfway mark of this month’s merry mayhem, Ghana’s streets, beaches, and squares are alive with rhythms, flavors, and fashions that scream “Akwaaba!” (that’s “welcome” in Twi, for the uninitiated). From diaspora homecomings to star-studded spectacles, 2025 is proving why Ghana is Africa’s unbeatable holiday hotspot.

Picture this: Under the sunny skies of Black Star Square today, thousands are grooving at Taste the Culture: A Black Star Experience – a sensory overload of Ghanaian vibes that’s happening right now! This isn’t your average concert; it’s a full-on heritage hug. Launched as part of the government’s Black Star Experience initiative, the event celebrates Ghana’s rich tapestry through mouthwatering cuisine (think spicy jollof rice battles and fresh palm wine sips), electrifying music, and bold fashion parades.

Headliners like Nigerian sensation Omah Lay, homegrown queen Gyakie, and soulful King Promise are dropping beats that blend Afrobeats with highlife – Ghana’s iconic sound born in the 1920s. It’s all about “hearing the rhythm, tasting the flavors, and seeing the style,” with sustainable twists like eco-friendly vendors showcasing traditional textiles and herbal remedies. Pro tip: If you’re in Accra, grab a ticket via the official site – it’s family-friendly, authentic, and utterly unmissable!

But wait, the party’s just getting started! Gear up for AfroFuture Festival kicking off December 28-29 at El Wak Stadium. Formerly Afrochella, this powerhouse event is a global magnet for the African diaspora, fusing music, art, and innovation. Expect headliners like Asake, Moliy, and TXC lighting up the stage with Afropop, Amapiano, and dancehall vibes. Beyond the tunes, dive into art installations, fashion pop-ups featuring kente-inspired couture, and food stalls dishing out pan-African delights. It’s not just fun – it’s a movement promoting community health fairs and creative expos that honor Black excellence.

With tickets flying off (VIPs sold out fast!), it’s the perfect cap to your Detty adventure. And yes, it’s got that heritage heart: Think storytelling sessions on Ghana’s Ashanti kings and interactive exhibits on Adinkra symbols – ancient wisdom meets modern swag.

Ghana’s December magic isn’t confined to the capital. Earlier this month, the Afro-Brazil Ghana Festival (December 12-13) in Accra bridged continents with live music, dance-offs, art stalls, and fusion feasts blending Ghanaian fufu with Brazilian feijoada – a nod to shared African roots across the Atlantic.

Up north, the Damba Festival wrapped up with royal parades and harvest dances, showcasing Dagbon heritage in all its colorful glory. And don’t sleep on the nationwide Ghana Heritage Month vibes, where events like the Fufu Party on a Park turned parks into cultural carnivals with traditional drumming and storytelling.

What makes 2025 extra special? The Ghana Tourism Authority’s push for inclusive, sustainable tourism is shining through. Events are vetted for authenticity, boosting local economies while inviting the world to reconnect – especially the diaspora, with homecoming vibes stronger than ever.

As Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie puts it, “December in GH is a cultural renaissance, a global call to come home.” Whether you’re here for the beats, the bites, or the bonds, Ghana’s got you covered.

So, pack your dancing shoes and an empty stomach – Detty December 2025 is calling! Follow #DecemberInGH for live updates, and remember: In Ghana, every celebration is a story waiting to be lived.

China has committed $30 million to the long-awaited renovation of Ghana’s National Theater, a landmark cultural institution that has anchored the country’s performing arts scene for more than three decades.

The refurbishment, expected to modernize the iconic structure and bring it up to contemporary global standards, aims to resolve long-standing infrastructural and technical challenges that have constrained the theater’s operations in recent years. Once completed, the project is expected to significantly enhance Ghana’s capacity to host world-class cultural productions and international creative collaborations.

A Chinese government delegation recently toured the facility alongside Ghanaian officials, including the leadership of the National Theater, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, directors from the ministry and architects. The visit was intended to assess the condition of the building and define the scope of renovation works.

Executive Director of the National Theater, Henry Herbert Malm, described the project as a critical intervention for the future of Ghana’s creative industry. He said the upgrades would modernize technical systems, improve safety standards and create a more comfortable environment for performers, staff and audiences.

“This renovation reflects our commitment to staying relevant in a rapidly evolving creative industry,” Mr Malm said.

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, welcomed the development, noting that plans to refurbish the theatre had been discussed for years. She said the breakthrough was achieved during President John Dramani Mahama’s recent five-day visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

The minister described the National Theater as an indispensable platform for cultural exchange and learning, both locally and internationally, adding that the facelift would open new opportunities for creative talents to showcase and develop their craft.

“We are counting on strong collaboration with the government and people of China, and we expect that in a very short time this renovation will see the light of day,” she said.

Leader of the Chinese delegation, Mr Li Yaohong, said China’s decision to renovate the facility was rooted in Ghana’s rich cultural heritage and its strategic importance in West Africa. He announced that the $30 million investment—equivalent to about ¥200 million—would support two projects: the National Theatre and an off-road market.

“Our budget is limited, so we propose that you prioritize the most urgently needed parts of the building,” Mr Li said, adding that a technical team from Beijing would be deployed to Ghana to further assess the renovation details.

Planned works include the refurbishment of the theater’s halls and stages, improvements to storage spaces, upgrades to air-conditioning systems, enhanced safety installations such as fencing and CCTV, modern firefighting equipment, and a general facelift of the entire compound.

Constructed under a bilateral agreement signed on July 5, 1989, the National Theater was completed in December 1992 and officially commissioned later that month. It was designed as a multi-functional cultural hub for concerts, dance, drama, musical performances, exhibitions and special events. The facility currently hosts three resident companies: the National Dance Company, the National Symphony Orchestra and the National Drama Company.

The renovation is widely seen as a significant boost to Ghana’s cultural infrastructure and a reaffirmation of long-standing Ghana-China relations in the arts and development sectors.

The Ghana News Agency contributed to this report.

Ama Ata Aidoo (1942–2023) did not simply write stories. She shifted the continent’s literary center of gravity. A novelist, playwright, poet, educator, feminist, and cultural theorist, Aidoo spent six decades carving out a space where African women could speak in their own voices, on their own terms, with clarity, courage, and thunder.

Her passing in 2023 marked the end of a physical journey, but her intellectual and artistic imprint remains immovable.

A Fierce Feminist and Anti-Colonial Thinker

Aidoo’s work—and her life—was grounded in a sharp, unapologetic critique of colonialism and patriarchy. Long before global feminism embraced African voices, she insisted that African women were not silent, oppressed figures waiting to be rescued. They were thinkers, leaders, rebels, lovers, mothers, and dreamers—complicated, fully human beings worthy of nuanced representation.

Her characters were bold because she was bold.

Her ideas challenged the world because she refused to shrink herself to fit it.

A Literary Trailblazer

From her early days as a University of Ghana student, where she wrote and staged The Dilemma of a Ghost, Aidoo was destined to break barriers. When the play was published in 1965, she became the first African woman dramatist to be published, opening doors for generations of African women storytellers.

Her works—Anowa (1970), Our Sister Killjoy (1977), Changes (1991)—remain cornerstones of African literature classrooms worldwide. She dissected migration, love, identity, colonial tensions, and the lives of African women with unmatched precision and wit.

Awards and recognition followed naturally: Mbari Club Prize (1962), Nelson Mandela Prize for Poetry (1987) & Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (Africa Region, 1992).

But even these accolades fall short of capturing her cultural magnitude.

A Scholar and Public Servant

Aidoo was not content to remain an observer of national life—she stepped directly into it. As Ghana’s first woman Secretary for Education, she pushed passionately for free education, believing literacy was a cornerstone of liberation. Though her tenure was brief, it signalled her lifelong belief that knowledge must be accessible to all.

Her academic influence stretched across Ghana, the United States, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. Whether lecturing at the University of Ghana or conducting research on Fanti drama, she taught with the same fire she wrote with.

A Champion of African Women Writers

Aidoo believed deeply in the power of the written word—and in the responsibility to nurture new voices. In 2000, she founded the Mbaasem Foundation to support African women writers, long before literary empowerment became a global buzzword.

In 2013, she helped establish what is now the 9mobile Prize for Literature, Africa’s first major award for debut fiction writers. Her name continues to live on through the Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize, awarded for scholarship that centers African women’s experiences.

A Legacy Etched Across Continents

Ama Ata Aidoo was born in Abeadzi Kyiakor in the Gold Coast, and from that small town emerged a global literary icon. She navigated worlds—African and diaspora, academic and artistic, political and personal—without losing her moral clarity.

In a moving tribute, her longtime friend Dr. Rashidah Ismaili described her as a “dynamic spirit of blazing eyes and searing brilliance,” a sister-in-arms in the fight for African autonomy and dignity. Their decades-long friendship—rooted in activism, art, and Pan-African dreams—speaks to the emotional depth Aidoo carried into every relationship and every room.

The Eternal Voice

Aidoo has joined the ancestors, but hers is not a silent departure. Her plays are still performed. Her books are still taught. Her essays continue to provoke. The writers she mentored still carry her lessons. Her laughter, her audacity, her intellectual clarity—these remain.

For readers, writers, feminists, scholars, and dreamers across the world, Ama Ata Aidoo is not just a memory. She is an invitation:
Write boldly. Live consciously. Speak truthfully. Love Africa fiercely.

She rests in peace, but her words remain gloriously alive.