Wondering about the biggest festivals in Uganda that you should not miss? Here are the biggest events held annually that you can enjoy while on a vacation in uganda, the Pearl of Africa. From unique art performances to carnival-like festivals, you will definitely have fun during your holiday in Uganda;

The Royal Ascot Goat Races

The festival being held at the Speke Resort on the shores of Lake Victoria, have been an annual Kampala tradition since 1993. It’s arguably the biggest event on the Ugandan social calendar. The royal Goat race event is ultimately the fun show for everyone in Uganda who likes to socialize and network, doing business giving back to community. It is involved with fun packed with more flavored additional activities including a silent disco, a chilling out lounge, food and drink outlets and entertainment for both adults and children. The royal goat’s races unlike, in horse races where the animals display amazing speed and footwork, goat handlers push a padded horizontal barrier on wheels around the track to keep the goats from grazing, fighting or running backwards during the race, this makes sense and fan to the occasion that blend with all the entertainment, Nyama choma, drinks as business leaders are blended with family and clients in one event at a time.

The Amakula International Film Festival

This is Uganda’s oldest independent film festival that aims to contribute to a vibrant local film industry by broadening access to and developing audiences for quality. It takes place between September and end of November. This is a “travelling” festival celebrating films old and new that feature themes of independence, and offering workshops on film and soundtracks training.

Nyege Nyege International Music Festival

Nyege Nyege is a 4 days event that always brings together different deejays to perform, Artistes and Entertainers from all over the World. This event has different meanings and some of them include: peace, respect and abundant joy, fun and curiosity and strives towards inclusivity and wonder, something of a perfect world you might say. It also provides the platform for several organizers showcase their new productions and the artists they work with making it a highlight for both audiences and musicians alike. The Nyege Nyege International Music Festival is a 4 days of extraordinary irresistible fun. And this event always makes the Kampala streets very empty since it pulls away all the crowds to Jinja where it always happens from.

The Nile Jazz Safari

This is a one day event attracts jazz musicians from around the world as they celebrate and jam with a growing audience of Ugandan jazz lovers. It is mainly performed in October.

Bayimba International Festival of the Arts

This takes four-days of creativity, poetry, storytelling, acrobatics, theatre, film, visual arts, music and dance from the best renowned and the fresh talented artists in Uganda. This has made this festival to wholly become an important benchmark for the consumption of the finest Arts. Prior acquisition of own space at Lunkulu islands on Lake Victoria, it was a regional with central finale at national theater. Event that was grounded on talent search and ideas however, it is now in one place happening every year in August.

First edition was in 2008 and several of known and upcoming Artists from Uganda, East Africa and beyond graced the event entertaining the revelers at the different stages of the Bayimba International Festival of the Arts. This year’s edition was scheduled on 1st to 4th August 2019 at Lunkulu Island, Mukono in Uganda and it was the 12th edition that aimed at bringing to life a true experience of the Arts in all its forms. Lunkulu Island can be accessed by road from the city of Kampala and about 42 kilometers and also from Jinja bust still by boat as well.

Entebbe Botanical Garden Birding Festival

The first of its kind directly intended to put birding at the peak bird watching in Uganda. Uganda is gifted and it alone has 10% of the world’s bird species and 50% of Africa’s bird species which magnifies any ardent bird watcher’s experience. And would look out to Uganda as the best destination for birding. Out of the many birding points, breathtaking Entebbe Botanical Gardens is one of them hence selection of it as the best birding festival venue. It is organized by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Festival on the Nile

This festival is held in August each year featuring music, dancing, theatre, storytelling, folklore and food. There is a street parade of children’s activities and dance workshops offering visitors and residents alike the opportunity to learn about Uganda’s tribes and customs.

Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo

This exhibition is carried out in October annually and its major aim is to raise the profile of Uganda as a destination for domestic and international travellers. This is a popular platform for all tour operators to network and do business in Uganda.

Kampala City Festival

The Kampala City Festival takes place at the beginning of October every year from the 3rd to 5th. Hundreds of Uganda’s favorite musicians and entertainers always are performing live for FREE. With Kampala in a constant state of change and regeneration, the festival projects the image of the City as a happy, cultural and warm place to be while promoting positive change to its public realm. It is organized by the Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) and features street parades and marches, live music and a national dress competition which draws in designers from all over the country to celebrate culture, innovation, unity and social life.