The people of Agotime in the Volta Region have celebrated the 2026 Agotime Kente Festival with a colourful display of traditional culture, weaving and community heritage in Kpetoe.

The annual festival, which brings together chiefs, queen mothers, residents, visitors and kente weavers, seeks to promote the community’s identity while preserving the centuries-old tradition of kente weaving for future generations.

The 2026 celebration was held under the theme, “Agotime Kente – Honouring Our Heritage, Safeguarding Our Future.”

The festival featured a number of cultural activities, including the traditional water-carrying procession and a grand durbar that brought the celebrations to a climax.

The activities on Friday featured Asialetorme, a traditional water-carrying procession in which women carried pots of water on their heads and processed through the town.

The colourful procession highlighted the important role of women in the community and served as a display of unity, dignity and respect for Agotime’s traditions.

It also set the tone for the main celebrations, giving residents and visitors an opportunity to experience an important aspect of the community’s cultural heritage before the grand durbar.

The celebrations reached their climax on Saturday when residents and visitors gathered at Kpetoe for the grand durbar.

Chiefs and queen mothers appeared in traditional regalia as the community celebrated its heritage through drumming, dancing, speeches and displays of locally woven kente.

The durbar provided an opportunity for traditional leaders and other stakeholders to reflect on the importance of preserving Agotime’s cultural identity, particularly its long-standing kente weaving tradition.

A major focus of the celebration was the proposed Kente Village and Centre of Excellence, an initiative expected to provide support for weavers, preserve traditional kente designs and create opportunities for young people.

The project is also expected to contribute to job creation and promote cultural tourism in Agotime and the wider Volta Region.

The main guest of honour at the grand durbar was the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Vice President of Ghana, Alex Segbefia.

Mr Segbefia praised kente as an important symbol of Ghanaian identity and encouraged stakeholders to support the proposed Kente Village and Centre of Excellence project.

His participation added prominence to the celebration, which sought not only to showcase Agotime’s rich cultural heritage but also to draw attention to the economic opportunities that can come from preserving and promoting traditional crafts.

The festival therefore served as both a celebration of Agotime’s past and a call to protect its cultural heritage for future generations.

With kente weaving remaining at the heart of the community’s identity, the 2026 festival underscored the importance of supporting local weavers, encouraging young people to learn the craft and creating platforms through which Agotime’s cultural heritage can be promoted locally and internationally.

Here are some pictures from JoyNews’ Samuel Moore, who was on the ground.