DR Congo has various festivals and events that have been influenced by the country’s colonial master, religion, and traditional African cultures. In March, the country holds an international Mini-marathon that takes place in the country’s capital, Kinshasa which features a 5-kilometer walk. The event is held at the initiative Congolese National sports medicine center in Kinshasa. The month of May features the “Journés Congolaises de Théâtre pour et par l’Enfance
et la Jeunesse” festival that is done annually. It is held in Kinshasa and is devoted to youth and childhood. The festival is conducted for six days and thousands of participants participate in the annual festival. Christmas celebrations are also held on this month among the Kimbanguist church followers since they believe the birth of Jesus was in May and not December. Lubumbashi festival is also conducted in the same month and features musicians from South Africa. In July, two festivals are conducted: Festival Tableau Noir, Ecran Blanc, and Festival Culturel d’Idiofa. Festival Tableau Noir festival is known to be a workshop meant for the young generation both in Lubumbashi and Kinshasa in making films. Festival Culturel d’Idiofa is associated with traditional music and dance, the country’s traditional art, and costumes from Idiofa, Bandundu province. The Festival of the rural theatre is another festival held in August that takes place in Kinshasa. It entails music, dance, singing, and theatre performances. October is known as the “Temps du Théatre a Lubumbashi” festival which is organized in Lubumbashi
by the center of Theatrical Animation (Petit Futé travel guides – Online tourist guide). It aims at promoting artistic dialogue from the different regions of Southern Africa. The country also promotes its local publishers. They are given an opportunity every November in an event commonly known as “Kinshasa Book Fair” where they are given a chance to promote their book titles. The festival also serves to bring together authors and book publishers from different parts of the country. Petitfute enlists other festivals such as the “festival de gungu,” “African’zuri festival” and the center wallonie-bruxelles festival that demonstrates the country’s culture.
