The second edition of African Festival Canada has brought together thousands of people in Moncton, New Brunswick, for a three-day celebration of African, Caribbean and Latino culture, music, entrepreneurship and community.

Organised by BIG-DREAMS Productions, a Black-led cultural not-for-profit organisation based in New Brunswick, the festival ran from August 20 to 22, 2026, at Downtown Place, The Plaza in Moncton.

The event was free to the public and featured music, dance, food, arts, storytelling, business activities and cultural performances.

The organisers said approximately 3,650 people participated in this year's festival, which also provided a platform for artists, entrepreneurs, vendors and community groups to connect with a diverse audience.

The festival opened on August 20 with a Small Business and Start-up Business Workshop at the New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) Moncton Campus.

The workshop attracted about 28 participants and focused on practical areas of entrepreneurship, including starting a business, cross-cultural competency, business banking and financing, bookkeeping, taxes, business promotion and social media.

According to the organisers, the workshop was designed to strengthen the capacity of local businesses that participated as festival vendors, as well as other emerging entrepreneurs.

The second day introduced Street Jams and Community Performances, featuring young artists from Montreal and New Brunswick, cultural dancers from Caribbean and Latino communities and local music groups from the Greater Moncton Area.

Artists included Brapurple, an emerging Ghanaian artist based in Moncton, and Benef4real from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, based in Montreal.

The programme also featured The Fusion Band, The We Band, Colombian cultural dance group Danza Viva and Brazilian dancer Gissel Bertolacini.

A key feature of the festival was its Storytelling and Oral Tradition sessions, which gave young members of the African community an opportunity to share their experiences of migration and life in Canada.

Fourteen-year-old Anita Uwase, a student at Riverview High School, shared her experience of moving from Uganda to Moncton with her family and reflected on the cultural differences that have shaped her life.

Twelve-year-old Adelio Ryan Ayeyi Adu-Yeboah, a student at Lewisville Middle School, presented two stories, Africa Cannot Fit in One Word and I Carry Ghana in My Name.

Through the stories, he highlighted Africa's diversity, naming traditions, culture and strong sense of family while reflecting on his experience as a Ghanaian growing up in Canada.

The festival climaxed on August 22 with a vendor exhibition and community performances that brought together about 37 craft and food vendors, food trucks and exhibitors, according to the organisers.

The final day also featured artists including KoKo Bee from Nigeria, Brapurple, Benef4real and Jamaican artist Miss Diva, alongside music groups and cultural performers.

Children were also catered for through free bouncy castles, while free on-site massage therapy was provided in collaboration with Eastern College's Moncton Campus.

The festival attracted participation from government officials and community leaders, including New Brunswick Education and Early Childhood Development Minister and Moncton South MLA Claire Johnson.

Moncton City Council was represented by Councillor-at-Large Marty Kingston and Ward 2 Councillor Kristin Cavoukian.

Messages of support were also received from Moncton-Dieppe MP Ginette Pettipas Taylor, the Brazilian Association of New Brunswick and the Ghanaian Canadian Association of New Brunswick.

Creative Director and Executive Producer of BIG-DREAMS Productions, Djan Amoako, said the festival was designed to go beyond entertainment by creating opportunities for cultural exchange and economic empowerment.

“Through African Festival Canada, we continue to build cultural bridges, celebrate diversity, and create opportunities that bring people together through creativity, entrepreneurship, and the arts,” he said.

The festival was funded by the Government of New Brunswick through Arts Culture NB's Community Arts Impact Program, the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage and the City of Moncton.

It also received sponsorship and support from organisations including Atlantic Lottery, MBS Radio's K94.5 FM, TD, UNI, Little Kickers NB, Downtown Moncton, Crandall University, SE Mutual Insurance, Rallye Motors Group, Par-T-Perfect NB and GardaWorld Security.

BIG-DREAMS Productions says it intends to continue using the festival to strengthen connections among communities while creating opportunities for cultural expression, youth engagement, entrepreneurship and economic development.