Poetry Slam Africa Festival returns to Nairobi this January, running from Thursday 29 January to Sunday 1 February. The four-day programme will span spoken word, music, workshops, and community experiences with events taking place at venues including the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française.

Curated by Creative Spills, the festival has grown into a major meeting point for performance poetry in East Africa, bringing together poets, musicians, educators, and cultural workers for live shows, skill-building sessions, and cross-border creative exchange.

This year’s edition features a Pan-African line-up of poets and musicians, including WD Abbo (South Sudan), Ebrahim Soul’o (Uganda), Dbass Ganun (Tanzania), Mitch Isabirye (Uganda), Theophilus Atuyahene (Ghana), Rejoyce Friday Akpiri (Nigeria), Jamila Abbass (Nigeria), and Victory Friday Akpiri (Nigeria).

Kenyan audiences will also catch performances from a strong local roster including Two Tea, Dominion, Aminatuzahra Kalebi, Muhonja, Billi Black, Slim Shaka, Fuse Sulle, Gufy Dox, and Mufasa Poet, among others.

Programming across the four days includes live poetry slams, music-and-poetry concerts, creative workshops, a live podcast recording, and the Grand Slam Finale, the national qualifier for the World Poetry Slam Championships.

A central part of the festival is the Rising Voices Schools’ Slam, a nationwide youth initiative designed to support student poets through performance, mentorship, and competition. The programme focuses on practical outcomes – confidence, public speaking, creative writing, leadership development, and cultural connection – while expanding access to slam culture for young people around the country.

Speaking on the festival’s direction, Ian Gwagi, Founder at Creative Spills, remarked “Poetry Slam Africa exists to nurture creative expression, amplify diverse African voices, and create spaces where art sparks dialogue, learning, and connection. Under the African Sky, we are bringing together artists and audiences to honour our shared stories, challenge perspectives, and celebrate the power of spoken word as a living cultural force across the continent.”

Poetry Slam Africa Festival is supported by partners including Alliance Française Nairobi, Goethe-Institut, Africalia, Petiole, Voices For Change, Village Market, and Ballpoint Social Club.

The festival is open to the public, with select events requiring registration or ticketing. Full programme details and updates are available through official Poetry Slam Africa channels.