The weekend clock strikes and Kigali answers with variety. This curated guide pulls together the best of what the city offers, from concerts and screenings to cultural showcases. Your only task is to choose your path. View this post on Instagram ALSO READ: Chryso Ndasingwa and Sharon Gatete set for worship concert in Brussels Friday, November 21 Taste of Africa After-party | Norrsken Kigali, The Pergola Step into a night alive with African rhythm, culture, and identity at the Taste of Africa Afterparty. This Friday, the event invites everyone to celebrate who they are and where they come from. Top DJs DJ Aimes, DJ June, and DJ Kai will provide the soundtrack, spinning Afrobeats, Amapiano, Afro-fusion, and cultural anthems that unite the continent. Attendees are invited to dress in ways that celebrate their heritage and prepare for an evening of music, dance, and cultural connection as part of Africa Week. Now in its second year, Africa Week gathers the continent’s leading voices in technology and entrepreneurship, highlighting investors and innovative companies shaping Africa’s future. This year’s program at Norrsken House Kigali explores new, tested, and hybrid approaches for mobilizing capital toward solutions, offering opportunities to learn, share, and engage with the ideas driving change across the continent. Lettres En Or | L’Espace, Nyamirambo If you are drawn to quieter forms of expression, Nyamirambo offers a thoughtful counterpoint. L’Espace hosts Lettres En Or, a reading and performance evening featuring new poetic works by Claudia Shimwa and Didous Kaduha. This is a celebration of language and emotion, shaped by sound, stillness, beauty, light and the shadows that give those things meaning. The writers will read, the room will listen, and the night will unfold into a discussion with the artists. The event begins at 7 in the evening on a pay-as-you-can model, inviting anyone to engage with the art without hesitation. Saturday, November 22 Rwanda Diplomatic Charity Bazaar | Green Hills Academy | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday opens with a tour of the world in a single day. The Rwanda Diplomatic Charity Bazaar gathers more than twenty nations in one space, creating an international marketplace of food, art, performances and cultural showcases. The bazaar is designed for family wandering, discovery and community support. Visitors can sample global dishes, shop unique crafts, enjoy live entertainment and take part in a charity raffle. It is a warm and easy way to spend a Saturday morning and afternoon while contributing to local artisans and social causes. Bring friends, bring kids, bring curiosity. There is always something unexpected to find here. Ride The Beat | FitnessPoint Remera FitnessPoint invites riders to take on a high-energy spinning session on November 22. Spinning is more than pedaling—it is moving to the beat, and this event promises a mix of music and momentum designed to keep every rider in rhythm. NEP DJs will provide the soundtrack, turning the room into a pulse-driven workout. The session welcomes all levels: beginners who are new to spinning or have been riding for up to a month, intermediate riders with one to three months of experience, and advanced riders with six months to a year of practice. The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Tickets are Rwf5,000 for all categories. Come for the workout, stay for the energy, and ride together with the city’s fitness community. Kigali Arts Festival, 11th Edition | ONOMO Hotel The 11th Kigali Arts Festival takes place Saturday, November 22, and Sunday, November 23. Visitors can explore a wide range of Rwandan art and cultural experiences, including banana paper craft, weaving, earring making, imigongo painting, postcard design, screen printing, and face painting. The festival gathers local artists from across the country, offering a chance to see and engage with their work firsthand. Started to empower Rwanda’s art industry, the festival creates opportunities for women, youth, and people with disabilities while showcasing the country’s creative talent to local and international audiences. After nine successful years, the festival remains a platform for discovering Rwandan artistry, shopping for unique gifts, and learning more about the nation’s culture. Entry is 2,000 francs for adults and free for children under 12. Kigali Dutaramé | BK Arena Kigali Dutaramé invites audiences to celebrate Rwanda’s rich cultural heritage with a night of music, dance, and storytelling. The event brings together the nation’s most iconic traditional performers alongside contemporary artists, offering a showcase of the sounds, stories, and spirit that define Rwandan identity. The lineup features Teta Diana, Ruti Joel, Massamba Intore, Jules Sentore, and Boukuru, alongside performances by leading cultural troupes including Ishyaka ry’Intore, Indatirwabahizi, Inganzo Ngari, Inyamibwa, and Ibihame by Imana. The evening promises powerful live vocals, traditional rhythms, energetic dance, and a deep celebration of Rwanda’s artistic heritage. Doors open at 4 p.m. Papa Cyangwe: Five Years Experience | Kigali Universe Hip hop takes its turn later in the night with Papa Cyangwe’s Now or Never Album Launch, marking his five-year journey in the industry. It is a celebration of growth and a showcase of the new work that captures his rise and resilience. He will be joined by Riderman, Fireman, P Fla, Yampano, Racine, B-Threy, Zeotrap and Hollix. Entry ranges from 10,000 francs for general access to 20,000 francs for VIP with drinks included. A table for six goes for 200,000 francs and comes with a bottle. The event begins at 6 in the evening and promises a long, charged night of live performances. Sunday, November 23 Planète B Premiere | Cine Mayaka The Rwanda premiere of Planète B offers a gripping cinematic journey into the world’s first virtual prison. Part of European Arthouse Cinema Day, the screening will be followed by a Q&A with acclaimed actress Eliane Umuhire. Set in a near-future reality where technology blurs the lines between freedom and control, Planète B explores themes of surveillance, identity, and resistance. Audiences will have the opportunity to watch the film on the big screen and engage directly with one of its lead performers. The event takes place at Cine Mayaka by IMITANA (Kwa Mayaka) at 7 p.m. Admission is open to all lovers of cinema, storytelling, and socially driven film. Stay in the loop with The New Times for the latest from Kigali’s entertainment scene and breaking news. Follow us on social media for curated weekend picks and real-time updates.
