Arts & culture

Arts & culture in Nairobi and East Africa

Exhibitions, festivals, music, theatre and talks, checked by our culture desk, with dates, venues, prices and where to get tickets.

October 2026

Film

NBO Film Festival 2026

Thu 15 Oct – Sun, 25 Oct 2026 · Prestige Plaza, Nairobi · Single screenings KES 1,000-1,500; Golden Ticket KES 20,000; some events free

Eleven days of African and diaspora cinema across four Nairobi venues, with an Alain Gomis retrospective.

Details → Tickets ↗

Film

AAIFF Africa 2026 (All African Independent Film Festival)

Thu 15 Oct – Sat, 17 Oct 2026 · French Institute of Rwanda, Kigali · Paid at the entrance; price not published

Three days of independent African films, awards and filmmaker conversations in Kigali.

Details → Tickets ↗

Film

Ben'Imana at NBO Film Festival

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 19:00–20:41 · Prestige Cinemas, Nairobi · KES 1,500

Rwanda's Cannes Caméra d'Or winner, the country's first Oscar entry, screens at Prestige Cinemas during the NBO Film Festival.

Details → Tickets ↗

Film

Moonlight Movie Night: Avatar: Fire and Ash

Fri 16 Oct – Sat, 17 Oct 2026 · The Piazza, Mundi Center, Kigali · RWF 3,500-6,000

Outdoor big-screen screening of Avatar: Fire and Ash at Mundi Center's Piazza on 16 and 17 October.

Details → Tickets ↗

Film

Call Me Queen: Kenyan premiere

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 18:00 · Prestige Ngong Road, Nairobi · KES 2,500

Red-carpet premiere of the Kenya-shot drama Call Me Queen at the NBO Film Festival, with a cast and crew Q&A.

Details →

Film

Amakula International Film Festival (19th edition)

Fri 30 Oct – Sun, 1 Nov 2026 · Bayimba Centre, Lunkulu Island

The 19th Amakula International Film Festival is held at the Bayimba Centre on Lunkulu Island, Uganda, from 30 October to 1 November, with open-air cinema under the sunset.

Details →

Details come from the organisers' own pages and can change; please check with the organiser before you go. Tell us about an event →