Batalo East Dance Festival 2025 to showcase Uganda’s rich cultural fusion

The Batalo East Dance Festival returns for its 11th edition on 13th December 2025, continuing its legacy of celebrating cultural preservation, artistic excellence, and the fusion of traditional and urban dance.

Since its debut in 2013 at the National Theatre, the festival has become one of Uganda's most vibrant platforms, attracting over 1,000 young performers, cultural practitioners, educators, and international guests.

For over a decade, Batalo East has provided a space where traditional and urban dance forms meet, fostering identity, creativity, and community.

Through training, theatre performances, documentation, archiving, and community collaborations, the festival has preserved indigenous knowledge while empowering young artists to innovate and lead.

Building on the successes of 2023 and 2024, which saw high community engagement and regional participation, the 2025 edition will continue to highlight Uganda’s rich diversity of clans and tribes.

The festival will feature over 100 performers from Butaleja District, Kampala, Jinja, and guest artists from Switzerland and Congo, showcasing traditional dances, urban performances, and live cultural music.

A special highlight of the 2025 edition will be the launch of the KUHAMAHAMA Art Movement Book, a groundbreaking publication documenting the cultural richness of Butaleja.

The book explores Bunyole dances, local instruments, myths, stories, and the fusion of traditions pioneered by Batalo East.

Alongside this, the festival will debut the Kuhamahama EP, recorded in Kabedamaido District, featuring authentic rhythms from the Kumam culture under the Kuhamahama Art Movement project.

Featured cultural troupes include Bubbinge Bulala, Naweede Cultural Troupe, Suna Junior Troupe, Fumbo Dance Troupe, and Born To Be Bad, offering both traditional and urban dance performances.

The festival will also showcase the following performances:

• 100 MOTS "Sans Mots" (Congo) – Choreographed by Lumina Dance Company and performed by Kashani Sumaili Guelord and Romain Miruho.

• Common Ground (Kampala) – Choreographed by Agaba Bob Mathias and Nalumu Justin, with music by Mugenyi Keith Divine, performed by the Afrique Arts Troupe.

• Etamiiro Lukiiko (Jinja) – Choreographed by Elvis Elasu (Levy), performed by Street Dance Force Crew Uganda.

• MANLY (Jinja) – Choreographed and performed by Elasu Elvis (Levy).

• Same Love (Switzerland) – Choreographed by Muhammed Kaltuk, performed by a diverse group, in collaboration with Soul-Xpressions.

The event is scheduled for December 13, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Batalo East Creative Centre in Kachonga, Butaleja District. Entry is free and open to all ages.