Organisers of the Harare International Festival of the Arts (Hifa) have assured arts lovers that the festival will return as scheduled next week, promising to unveil the full programme on July 30 after speculation mounted over the event’s long-awaited comeback.
Hifa, Zimbabwe’s premier arts festival, is set to run from August 3 to 9 after an eight-year hiatus. However, with only days before the opening, organisers had yet to announce the programme, venues, ticketing arrangements or line-up of performers, fuelling questions over whether the festival would proceed.
The lack of key details, which are typically released well in advance, sparked widespread speculation on social media, with many followers fearing the revival had been delayed once again.
Responding to the concerns, Hifa public relations representative, Tafadzwa Simba, said preparations remained on course.
“Hifa will make a reveal on Thursday, 30 July 2026,” Simba said.
The announcement is expected to provide details on the festival programme, venues, ticketing and participating local and international artists.
Hifa last staged a festival in 2018 before suspending operations due to financial and operational challenges, leaving Zimbabwe without one of its biggest cultural showcases.
Since then, artists and arts stakeholders have repeatedly called for its return, describing the festival as a key platform for showcasing local talent and reconnecting Zimbabwe with the international creative community.
Local artists welcomed the festival’s return, saying it had played a pivotal role in developing Zimbabwe’s creative sector and stimulate the creative economy by creating opportunities for performers, technicians, vendors and other players in the arts value chain.
Over the years, Hifa established itself as one of Africa’s leading multidisciplinary arts festivals, attracting thousands of visitors and presenting music, theatre, dance, visual arts, spoken word and film.
The forthcoming announcement is expected to provide clarity on the festival’s return as stakeholders look forward to the revival of one of Zimbabwe’s most influential cultural events after nearly a decade.
