Theatre & dance
Kenya International Theatre Festival (KITFest) 2026
The Kenya International Theatre Festival returns to Nairobi in November with the theme 'Reimagining Theatre'.
Arts & culture in Nairobi and East Africa Venues and spaces
Kenya National Theatre
Harry Thuku Road, Nairobi, Kenya · Open in Google Maps ↗
Coming up
Theatre & dance
The Masks (KITFest, South Africa)
A South African one-actor play on rejection, love and resilience, on the first day of KITFest.
Festival
Polish Heritage in Motion (KITFest)
Poligrodzianie perform Polish folk dances with music, song and costume in the Main Auditorium.
Theatre & dance
Octopus Garden (Jardin de Pulpos) (KITFest, Venezuela)
A bilingual English-Spanish play from Venezuela about memory, dreams and exile, at the Kenya International Theatre Festival on 4 November.
Theatre & dance
My Son, My Sin (KITFest)
A dialogue-driven play on family relations, fears and the urge to control others, at the Kenya International Theatre Festival.
Theatre & dance
Palunko's Wife (KITFest, Croatia)
A non-verbal physical comedy from Croatia with aerial acrobatics about a woman who returns to her circus career, on 5 November.
Theatre & dance
After Silence (KITFest, Brazil)
A Brazilian theatre-dance piece based on the life of Helen Keller, performed in Portuguese and Libras, on 5 November.
Theatre & dance
Make Room (KITFest, Uganda)
A Ugandan play set at a bus stop during a lockdown curfew, at KITFest on 6 November.
Theatre & dance
Avatara: The Ten Manifestations (KITFest)
A Bharatanatyam dance production about the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, at KITFest on 6 November.
Theatre & dance
Amathambo (KITFest, South Africa)
A South African poetic theatre piece about a former Ndebele warrior and his son's spiritual journey, at KITFest on 6 November.
Theatre & dance
Dying Need No Shoes (KITFest)
A Kenyan family drama about buried secrets, abuse and the cost of silence, with four performances from 6 to 14 November.
Theatre & dance
Romeo and Juliet: a love in pasta (KITFest, Argentina)
An Argentine show in which two bilingual chefs cook dishes inspired by Shakespeare's stories, at KITFest on 6 November.
Music
Nyatiti Fusion - Bila Mpaka Band (KITFest)
Bila Mpaka Band blends the nyatiti with Benga, modern and classical instruments and African percussion, in Dholuo.
Theatre & dance
Lion King Jr. Musical (KITFest)
A staged adaptation of The Lion King Jr. in English and Kiswahili, with two shows on Saturday 7 November.
Theatre & dance
Black Box (KITFest, Kenya)
Kenyan experimental performance on grief, mortality and ego, built from the maker's woodworking and painting practice; three evenings on the outdoor stage.
Theatre & dance
Voices in My Head (KITFest)
A Kenyan psychological dance drama about a young man pressed by career, love and identity, on 7 November.
Theatre & dance
Guerrier (KITFest, Canada)
A Canadian multimedia interactive theatre experience that draws on Kenyan iconography and Afrofuturist aesthetics, on 7 November.
Theatre & dance
Atieno with a Red Hood (KITFest)
An interactive puppet show for young audiences in which Atieno travels to visit her grandmother in Western Kenya, with a tree-planting segment.
Theatre & dance
Adventures of Sulwe (KITFest)
A 50-minute original acoustic and poetry performance on identity, belonging and personal growth.
Theatre & dance
Free
Twali Banji Audio Installation (KITFest, Uganda)
A free Ugandan radio play on newborn and maternal deaths in health facilities, on the outdoor stage at KITFest.
Theatre & dance
Penalty (KITFest)
A family drama in English and Kiswahili about two estranged sons and the ghost of a football legend, on the night a stadium is renamed.
Regular Theatre & dance
Story Za Thuita (street theatre walk)
A guided street-theatre walk through Nairobi's hidden histories, women's contributions and multicultural identity, on two Sundays during KITFest.
Regular Talks & books
Free
Poetry After Lunch (KITFest)
Free outdoor afternoon of East African spoken word, storytelling and acoustic sets at the Kenya National Theatre, on 5 and 12 November.
Theatre & dance
Echoes of Machismo (KITFest)
A play by Derrick Waswa on toxic masculinity and rigid cultural expectations of men.
Theatre & dance
AI Mum (KITFest, Kenya)
A Kenyan play about a young athlete who secretly builds an AI version of her late mother, in the small hall at KITFest.
Theatre & dance
Crazy Storms (KITFest, Uganda)
A Ugandan play set in a refugee camp where relentless storms mirror the chaos.
Theatre & dance
Sakuntala: A Love Lore (KITFest)
An Indian dance drama blending Bharatanatyam, Kathakali scenes and a fishermen's folk dance, in Tamil with English narration.
Theatre & dance
Death and the Future (KITFest)
A one-act play in Luo in which the community is summoned to the funeral of the future.
Theatre & dance
The Circus Girl (KITFest, Egypt)
An interactive musical from Egypt, by Ahmed Zaham, about a girl raised in a circus.
Theatre & dance
Acrimony Unquenched (KITFest)
A theatrical production on femicide and gender-based violence, with dance and storytelling.
Theatre & dance
Justice for Her (KITFest)
A musical about Lucy, a university student from a poor family, and the rich older man who plans to have her killed.
Theatre & dance
Pyjamas for Five (KITFest, Ghana)
A farce of lies and mistaken identities when a planned romantic weekend collides with a cancelled trip.
Music
Free
Mushikishiki Vibes: Tyson Meya (KITFest, DR Congo)
Congolese pianist, singer and composer Tyson Meya brings Mushikishiki Vibes to Kenya, free, ahead of his album YO MOKO.
Theatre & dance
Her Madness (KITFest, Uganda)
A Ugandan spoken-word theatre production centred on a single evolving character, 'Mad'.
Theatre & dance
Cafe Jallal Project (KITFest, Israel)
A multilingual musical blending desert and urban life with Palestinian, Bedouin, Jewish and Arab-Israeli sacred music, Khaliji and Bedouin music and dance.
Theatre & dance
Changing the World One Poem at a Time (KITFest, USA)
A US production that fuses drama, live music and original poetry in the Main Auditorium.
Theatre & dance
No Laughing Matter (KITFest)
A domestic farce about secrets and reputation, with five performances over three days.
Theatre & dance
Y - What Refuses to Fade (KITFest, India)
A devised physical-theatre piece from India about the memories the body refuses to release.
Theatre & dance
La Mona Simona (KITFest, Spain)
A show from Spain mixing Chinese shadow theatre, puppetry and storytelling about a sleepy monkey waiting for sunrise.
Music
Golden Bell Resounds - Harmony Along the Silk Road
A 70-minute concert of Chinese folk instrumentalists and vocalists, created for China-Africa cultural exchange in 2026, at the Kenya National Theatre.
Theatre & dance
The Making of a Thief (KITFest)
A play about a high-school student publicly accused of theft by his police-commander father and his school.
Theatre & dance
Echos from the Lake (KITFest)
A Luo-language physical drama based on the epic of Nyamgodho Wuod Obare, with partner acrobatics, aerial work, Ohangla rhythms and nyatiti music.
Past events
- Funny Thing About Love Fri 30 Oct – Sat, 31 Oct 2026
- Waiyaki Wa Hinga (Gikuyu play, rerun) Fri 16 Oct – Sun, 18 Oct 2026
- Aesop's Fables — A Ballet for Young Audiences Sat 3 Oct – Sun, 4 Oct 2026
Details come from the organisers' own pages and can change; please check with the organiser before you go. Tell us about an event →