-Celebrating Liberia’s Rich Heritage and the Empowerment of Women and Girls
Monrovia-ActionAid Liberia, in collaboration with DOMAFEIGN, LIWEN, WOCDAL, NATPAH, and SAIL, with support from the Embassy of Sweden, will host the 2026 National Cultural Festival on Saturday, August 1, 2026, beginning at 8:30a.m. at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex Gymnasium in Paynesville. The event is free and open to the public.
This year’s Festival is under the theme, “Our Culture, Our Pride: Empowering Women and Girls,” IIt seeks to bring together traditional leaders, cultural practitioners, government institutions, development partners, civil society organizations, youth groups, women, artisans, and communities from across Liberia to celebrate the country’s rich cultural heritage while promoting positive cultural values that advance the rights, dignity, and empowerment of women and girls.
Now in its third year, the National Cultural Festival is organized under ActionAid Liberia’s Just and Equal Communities (JEC) Project. The festival celebrates Liberia’s cultural diversity beyond harmful traditional practices by showcasing inspiring stories of women who have transitioned to sustainable livelihoods and are now promoting positive change within their communities and are not empowering fellow women and leading advocacy.
Festival attendees will experience a vibrant display of Liberia’s cultural richness through traditional dance, music, storytelling, spoken word, arts and crafts exhibitions, cultural exchange booths, gallery walks, traditional fashion, country clothes, and authentic Liberian cuisine. Visitors will also have the opportunity to purchase locally produced handicrafts and country clothes made by women from the Traditional Arts School in Gbarma, Gbarpolu County, and women from Kamara Town, Po River and from other project counties and other parts of the country.
Speaking ahead of the event, Elizabeth Gbah Johnson, Country Director of ActionAid Liberia, said: “This National Cultural Festival with Gbarpolu being the lead host is celebrating the main impact and transformation of ActionAid and partners work across the 5 JEC implemented counties. It is a platform for showcasing the positive values that unite our communities while demonstrating that culture can be a powerful force for advancing the rights, dignity, and economic empowerment of women and girls. We invite every Liberian to join us in celebrating the richness of our culture and the inspiring stories of transformation taking place across our communities.”
The festival also aims to strengthen collaboration among communities, traditional leaders, government institutions, and civil society while promoting awareness of gender equality, social justice, and sustainable community development through culture.
ActionAid Liberia has therefore named Gbarpolu County Superintendent, Hon. Sam Zinnah as the keynote speaker for this year’s festival. The event will he hosted on August 1, 2026 at the Samuel K. Doe Gymnasium beginning at 8am with a Caravan Parade from the ELWA Junction Round about and onward to the SKD. The main even will start at 10am up until 4pm.
AAL therefore extends an open invitation to Liberians, foreign guests entering into the country, the diplomatic community, families, students, and young people to grace the occasion to learn more about the Liberian culture.
For additional information, members of the media and the public may contact the Festival Secretariat through ActionAid Liberia.
Media Contact
Communications Team
ActionAid
Email: actionaidlib@gmail.com
Phone: +231770425328/0886225867
About ActionAid Liberia
ActionAid Liberia is a human rights and social justice organization working in Liberia since 1997 to advance the rights of women, children, young people, and marginalized communities through a human rights-based and feminist approach. Under its Just and Equal Communities (JEC) Project, ActionAid works with partners to promote gender equality, social justice, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and community-led development across five counties in Liberia.
