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Be Part of the Atmosphere and Excitement of
The Annual Kankurang Festival

Get ready for an unexpected thrill!

When the Zimbas sneak up on you they'll take you by surprise in the most unexpected way.

Join Us This January!
24th - 26th 
January 2025
But be prepared to extend your days beyond the days of the Festival as there is so much more to explore.

A Welcome by the
President  of the Kankurang Festival  Committee

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It's my pleasure to welcome you to Janjanbureh Kankurang Festival,  an annual festival happening the last weekend  of January every year showcasing the unique cultural heritages of Janjanbureh.

What inspires us is because there is growing evidence that there is a demand for new forms of tourism which are more culturally and community based than in the past. 

Many people now want experiences rather than sights; doing rather than looking and taking part rather than acting as a spectator.
The Janjanbureh Kankurang and Masquerade Festival will provide such a unique experience to visitors.

Justice Muhamed Saidykhan

The main purpose of the festival is to showcase the unique cultural expression of the Kankurang and other masking traditions of West Africa so that the Island will gain visibility and attract more and more visitors who would like to experience an intangible authentic cultural heritage.

It's against this background that the community celebrate this festival every year since the successful inaugural

Festival in 2018, partnering with

Nature Friends International, the  National Centre for Arts and Culture, The GAMBIA Tourism Board etc. 

If you want an unforgettable experience, join us in January.

​

​Justice Muhamed Saidykhan

President

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24-26th Jan 2025

The Revival of the Festival 

Partners listed above

In January 2018 the Kankurang Festival was revived with the support of  local and national organisations. 

Partnering with NatureFriends International  (NFI),  there were  over 70 European visitors at the inaugural Festival. 

This enabled the Tour Guides  to later secure a

C-category membership for future sustainable initiatives.

Hard to imagine the atmosphere?

Search and explore  the vibrant spirit of the homegrown
Janjanbureh
Kankurang  Festival through a range of YouTube videos 

There are many  but these are a starting point:-

The 2019 edition offers a standout introduction  highlighting the crucial involvement and impact of the festival on the youth of Janjanbureh, showcasing their energy and cultural pride

'In Janjanbureh, eastern Gambia, the annual Kankurang festival celebrates a mythical figure from the Mandinka people. For three days, hundreds attend parades and performances to help preserve an age-old tradition that is in danger of disappearing.'  From AFP News Agency recounting 2024 festival

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Find Out More About the  Kankurang

"The Kankurang  is an omnibus masquerade, a generic term for many and different types of Manding masquerades, such as Suto Kankurang , Jambo Kankurang  , Fita Kankurang  and so on, But basically it's mystical and mysterious, It's like the policeman of the community

...keeping away evil spirits ...protecting the initiates who are newly circumcised...

The kankurang has a role as a social controller...."

Hassoum Ceesay: Director General of National Centre for Art and Culture

ISSN 0796-1820 Vol 6No 001 2024

Plan Your Visit 

Find Out for Yourself

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