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Takoradi Masquerade Festival Lights Up Ghana’s Western Region During Christmas

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The streets of Takoradi came alive with colour, music and cultural pride as the Ankos Festival, popularly known as the Takoradi Masquerade Festival, took centre stage from December 25 to 27, drawing tens of thousands of revelers to Ghana’s Western Region.

The annual festival, which takes place across several towns but reaches its peak in Takoradi, is one of Ghana’s most vibrant Christmas celebrations.

This year’s edition drew renewed attention after Ghanaian traveller and content creator Mariame (@ryamchouu_travels) shared her first-hand experience on Instagram, describing the festival as “incredible” and a must-see cultural event.

“This is what Christmas looks like here in Takoradi,” Mariame said in a video documenting day one of the celebrations. “The whole town was alive — bright colours everywhere, music floating through the streets, and thousands of people dressed in their masquerade outfits.”

According to her account, more than 20,000 people flooded the streets, parading in coordinated masquerade groups, each distinguished by unique uniforms and intricate design details. From children to the elderly, participants and spectators alike took part in the festivities, dancing through the city in an atmosphere she described as “pure joy.”

Mariame joined the Supreme masquerade group, which she noted appeared to have one of the largest followings during the parade. While the masked performers endured the heat to maintain tradition, she opted to experience the procession without a costume, citing the intense temperatures.

Beyond the spectacle, the festival also stood out for its emphasis on safety and organisation. “Security was solid,” she said, noting a visible police presence throughout the event, which allowed participants to move freely and confidently through the city.

A key highlight of the festival is the competitive aspect, where masquerade groups face off to determine who presents the best costume and performance, adding excitement and anticipation to the multi-day celebration.

Mariame used the opportunity to encourage both locals and visitors—especially those in the diaspora—to explore beyond Accra.

“Ghana is so much bigger than just the capital,” she wrote. “This festival is vibrant, intense, colourful, joyful, and above all, safe.”

The Takoradi Masquerade Festival traces its roots to coastal traditions influenced by Afro-Brazilian and Caribbean cultural exchanges and has grown into a signature event that blends history, music, fashion and community spirit.

As Ghana continues to position itself as a cultural tourism hub for both Africans in the diaspora and international travelers, festivals like Ankos are gaining global attention for showcasing the country’s diversity beyond its major cities.

Festivals & Events

Stories That Cross Borders: Experience When You See Me in Accra

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On a warm July evening in Accra, storytelling will take center stage in a way that goes far beyond entertainment. When You See Me, a one-hour literary and performance event hosted by the Queenmothers and Migrants Project, invites audiences to explore migration through the voices of women, blending fiction, theatre, music, and spoken word into a moving cultural experience.

Taking place on Thursday, July 16, at Kata Garden Bistro, the gathering offers visitors an intimate encounter with one of the defining conversations shaping contemporary Ghana and the wider African continent.

Migration has long been woven into Ghana’s history. People have crossed regions and borders in search of education, employment, safety, and opportunity, carrying with them languages, traditions, and personal stories.

When You See Me shines a light on those experiences from a feminist perspective, exploring the resilience, identity, and emotional realities of women navigating new homes while holding onto their roots.

The evening brings together an impressive lineup of creative voices. Award-winning Ghanaian novelist Peace Adzo Medie, celebrated for her internationally acclaimed novel His Only Wife, will present a short story reading.

Audiences will also enjoy a live vocal performance by falè, spoken-word poetry by Twita, and dramatic excerpts performed by Lododo Arts Foundation. Together, these performances create a rich artistic conversation where literature, theatre, and music complement one another, offering different perspectives on belonging and displacement.

Set within the relaxed surroundings of Kata Garden Bistro on Blohum Road, the event promises an atmosphere where audiences can connect with artists and fellow guests in an informal setting.

The venue’s garden environment encourages reflection, making it an ideal backdrop for stories that ask listeners to consider empathy, identity, and shared humanity.

For international visitors, the event offers an authentic introduction to Ghana’s contemporary literary and performing arts scene beyond traditional tourist attractions.

For Ghanaians, it provides an opportunity to engage with conversations that continue to shape families and communities across the country.

Whether you are passionate about books, theatre, poetry, or cultural exchange, When You See Me demonstrates how storytelling can bridge distances, challenge assumptions, and remind us that every journey begins with a story waiting to be heard.

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Arts and GH Heritage

From Kantamanto to the Gallery: Reclaiming Identity Through Textile Art

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There is a quiet revolution in taking a word once used as an insult and turning it into a badge of imagination.

That transformation lies at the heart of KUBOLOR: In Search of Greener Pastures, where artist Kwabena Ofe Gideon Amponsah invites audiences to see wandering not as failure, but as a form of curiosity that shapes cities, identities, and creative expression.

In Ghana, “kubolor” has long described someone perceived as drifting without direction. Amponsah challenges that stereotype by presenting movement as an act of discovery.

His richly textured tufted works—created using a technique he taught himself after encountering it online—carry the marks of experimentation.

Thick layers of yarn, bold silhouettes, and tactile surfaces encourage viewers to slow down and consider the value of process as much as the finished artwork.

The exhibition draws much of its emotional power from Accra’s Kantamanto Market, one of the world’s largest second-hand clothing hubs.

Rather than treating discarded garments as waste, Amponsah transforms them into sculptures, wearable art, and immersive installations. Each fabric fragment carries traces of another life, suggesting that materials, like people, can find new purpose through reinvention.

That conversation extends into fashion through a collaboration with Ghanaian label DARKOS. The garments are not presented as merchandise but as living artworks, blurring the boundaries between clothing, sculpture, and performance.

Their contemporary forms encourage reflection on gender, identity, and the ways the body communicates personal history.

The exhibition’s installation mirrors the visual rhythm of Kantamanto itself. Hanging textiles, layered displays, and improvised arrangements recall the ingenuity of market traders, turning everyday merchandising techniques into a carefully orchestrated artistic language.

Visitors move through a space that feels at once familiar and theatrical, where commerce and creativity exist side by side.

Running until Monday, July 27, 2026, KUBOLOR: In Search of Greener Pastures leaves a lasting impression because it reframes a familiar Ghanaian expression with generosity and imagination.

It argues that the search for greener pastures is rarely about escape. More often, it is about resilience, reinvention, and the courage to keep moving until overlooked stories—and overlooked materials—find their place in the spotlight.

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Reels & Social Media Highlights

#GhanaTrending: Memes, Money, and a Nation’s Digital Mood on Tuesday

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It’s Tuesday, July 14, and as always, Ghana’s social media sphere is a vibrant, chaotic, and endlessly entertaining reflection of the national mood.

The conversations that took over timelines yesterday were a classic Ghanaian blend of sports passion, internet drama, and the biting wit that defines our digital culture.

Leading the charge was the news of Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz’s salary. Sports Minister Kofi Adams confirmed the Portuguese tactician earns $80,000 monthly, a figure that immediately ignited fiery debates about value for money and investment in local football.

As fans scrutinized the return on investment after the team’s Round of 16 World Cup exit, the nation’s collective sports fervor was also being celebrated through a viral image of an egg seller who painted her entire stock in Ghana’s red, gold, and green ahead of the Colombia clash, a gesture of grassroots patriotism that warmed hearts.

However, the digital streets were equally focused on the ongoing drama surrounding wealthy young figures.

The extradition of businessman Abu Trica to the US cast a long shadow, with speculation linking other influencers, including forex trader Kojo Forex, to potential FBI interest.

In a move that perfectly encapsulates Ghanaian social media, Kojo Forex did not issue a defensive statement but responded with a lighthearted plea to the FBI for a “Free Visa”.

This blend of serious allegations and comedic deflection is a hallmark of our online culture, drawing in thousands of reactions.

Meanwhile, Prophet Roja sent social media into a frenzy with a cryptic call for Abu Trica’s family to meet him, sparking skepticism and a flurry of memes about the “business” of modern-day prophecies.

The mood was one of cautious cynicism, a reminder of how Ghanaians use humor and debate to process serious news.

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