The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie has said that the government will prioritise completing existing cultural facilities before starting a new National Theatre in Kumasi.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, 10th August 2026, she said a tour of cultural facilities in the Ashanti Region had convinced her that it was prudent to complete existing projects before starting new ones.

“I took a tour of Ashanti Region’s theatre and centre for national culture spaces and I have suggested to cabinet that instead of starting a new one, we focus on finishing what has been started and cabinet is in approval of that suggestion. So that is why is going to happen and then if the opportunity comes we start a new one,” she said.

The Minister said her proposal to Cabinet was intended to ensure that uncompleted cultural projects initiated by previous governments were completed before work began on the proposed National Theatre in Kumasi.

Her comments come a few days after Kumasi-based broadcaster Austine Woode raised concerns about preparations for the construction of a second National Theatre in Kumasi, as promised in the manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2024 elections.

Speaking during the ninth edition of Joy FM’s Showbiz Roundtable on Saturday, 8th August 2026, Austine expressed disappointment in the minister’s unresponsiveness to initiating the construction of the theatre in their region. 

“I am from Kumasi, has she spoken to anybody about the land on which they will build the Kumasi theatre? I am a stakeholder there. If she had had any conversation like that, I would know that they are looking for the land. They are not doing it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi, popularly known as Dwabrem, has for many years been earmarked for renovation by successive governments.

The previous government also laid a foundation for an amphitheatre in Kumasi.