Tübingen’s African Festival:

Where the Drums Never Stop, and Jollof Rice Flows Like the Nile!

 

 

If you’ve never heard of the International Afrika Festival Tübingen, brace yourself. You might assume a festival in Germany means beer, bratwurst, and Beethoven. But for one weekend – from Thursday, June 5th, to Sunday, June 8th, 2025 – this picturesque university town transforms into something that feels like Dar es Salaam, Accra, Lagos, Nairobi, and Dakar had a reunion and forgot to tell the Germans.

Imagine stepping into a parallel universe where Afrobeats replace church bells, the air is thick with the scent of sizzling suya, and German toddlers inexplicably master the Azonto dance. That’s Tübingen in June, and the mastermind behind this vibrant, high-energy cultural takeover is none other than Dr. Susan Tatah.

While some early African festivals in Germany were organized by people who thought fufu was a new TikTok dance, Dr. Tatah flipped the script. She built a festival that feels like home for Africans, African-Germans, and anyone whose heart races at the sound of a talking drum.

 

25 Years and Still Kicking

Now in its 25th edition, this festival has outlived most German techno clubs and proven that African culture isn’t something you watch on National Geographic; it’s something you live.

“And live it you will!” laughs Dr. Tatah, effortlessly cool and so welcoming you might mistake her for your favourite auntie.

The music lineup is a nonstop, foot-stomping journey through Afrobeat, reggae, highlife, and traditional drumming that will have even the most rhythmically challenged guests swaying like their great-great-grandfather was an African chief. The dance groups bring the kind of energy that makes you question your own fitness levels (or at least reconsider that second plate of Jollof).

 

Calories? We Don’t Know Them Here

Speaking of food — and we must speak of food — this is no place for calorie counting. Whether you’re devouring nyama choma, wrestling with a plate of egusi soup, or figuring out how exactly to navigate injera, one thing is sure: you’ll leave stuffed. Just don’t get dragged into the eternal jollof rice debate. This is a festival, not the UN Security Council.

For those who prefer their culture with a side of intellectual stimulation, the festival has you covered with art exhibitions, film screenings, and panel discussions that will have you deep in thought (right before you get distracted by a mouthwatering skewer of suya). The fashion showcases confirm what we already knew: African designers don’t play. You will leave with a Dashiki, Kente, or Kitenge that instantly becomes your go-to outfit for the following year.

 

Shop, Dance, Eat, Repeat

The marketplace is a treasure trove of fabrics, jewellery, and crafts. Whether you buy something practical or something that makes you feel like a cultural ambassador, one thing is guaranteed: your suitcase will be heavier on the way home.

And then there’s the African Village – a magical little space where elders bless you with wisdom, random strangers become family, and you suddenly feel the urge to call your aunties just to check-in.

Bringing the kids? No worries—they’ll be entertained with face painting, drumming lessons, storytelling, and just enough activity to ensure they pass out on the car ride home (a true blessing for all parents).

If all this isn’t enough, the festival also hosts African filmmakers, spiritual healers, and business moguls, proving that Africa is more than just vibes – it’s also vision.

 

A Little Language Goes a Long Way

Between dancing, eating, and shopping, you might as well pick up a few key phrases from different African languages to impress your new friends.

 

Here are a few essentials:

  • Swahili (East Africa):
    • Hello: Jambo
    • I love you: Nakupenda
    • This food is sweet: Chakula hiki ni kitamu
    • Thank you: Asante
  • Yoruba (Nigeria, Benin, Togo):
    • Hello: Bawo ni
    • I love you: Mo nifẹ̀rẹ̀
    • This food is sweet: Ounjẹ yàn jù
    • Thank you: E se
  • Wolof (Senegal, The Gambia, Mauritania):
    • Hello: Nanga def?
    • I love you: Nopp naa la
    • This food is sweet: Niebbe bi neex na
    • Thank you: Jërëjëf
  • Lingala (DR Congo, Congo-Brazzaville):
    • Hello: Mbote
    • I love you: Nalingi yo
    • This food is sweet: Elambo ya kitoko
    • Thank you: Matondo
  • Zulu (South Africa):
    • Hello: Sawubona
    • I love you: Ngiyakuthanda
    • This food is sweet: Lokhu kudla kumnandi
    • Thank you: Ngiyabonga
  • Amharic (Ethiopia):
    • Hello: Selam
    • I love you: Ewedehalehu
    • This food is sweet: Yih megeb t’am yemẽta
    • Thank you: Ameseginalehu
  • Bonus – German (since we’re in Germany!):
    • Hello: Hallo
    • I love you: Ich liebe dich
    • This food is sweet: Dieses Essen ist lecker
    • Thank you: Danke

 

Now you’re fully equipped to make new friends, compliment the chefs, and maybe even fall in love (with the food, at the very least!).

So, whether you come to dance, eat, shop, or soak up the energy of Africa in the heart of Germany, one thing’s for sure: you’ll leave with more than what you arrived with. That means extra pounds, new dance moves, and at least one outfit you’ll wear to every event for twelve months.

Tübingen, brace yourself. Africa is arriving – and it’s bringing the party!

 

Umoja Afrika Festival