Arguably Rwanda’s premier fashion showcase, Kigali Fashion Week, is set to return on May 30 at The Pinnacle Kigali, marking the comeback of one of the country’s most recognised fashion platforms after nearly half-decade hiatus. ALSO READ: Fashion moments that stood out in 2025 The highly anticipated event returns nearly three years after its last edition and comes with new management, renewed continental focus and an expanded lineup of designers from across Africa. Organisers had picked Zaria Court Kigali as the event’s ideal plot but later changed the venue to The Pinnacle Kigali. Kigali Fashion Week last took place in 2020 during its 10th anniversary edition before being put on hold, largely due to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ebola outbreak in neighbouring Uganda. Following the pause, organisers shifted focus toward restructuring the platform and taking its activities beyond Rwanda. In 2023, the event was rebranded as Kigali International Fashion Week, with editions and related showcases later organised in cities including London, Kampala and Tokyo. Its return to Kigali also follows a leadership transition after founder John Bunyeshuli formally handed over management rights to Uganda-based events company LG Events under a seven-year agreement aimed at expanding the brand’s regional footprint. Running under the theme ‘Culture | Elegance,’ the 2026 edition is expected to blend fashion, culture, networking and luxury experiences into one premium showcase. Rather than a single-night event, this year's edition has been structured as a multi-day experience running from May 25 to 30 across several venues in the city, building up to the main runway on the final night. The week opens on May 25 at ONOMO Hotel Kigali with an Exhibition and Creative Market, a public marketplace bringing together fashion brands, accessories, art, design and lifestyle businesses aimed at giving creative entrepreneurs direct access to buyers and audiences. The following day, May 26, moves to Institut Français for a programme centred on industry dialogue, sustainability and the creative economy, incorporating fashion films, cultural exchange and conversations between designers, institutions, media and other stakeholders. On May 27, the action shifts outdoors to Kigali Universe for what organisers have described as The Bridge for Fashion in the City, an open-air runway experience featuring confirmed designers, live music and DJ performances designed to bring the showcase closer to wider and younger audiences across the city. May 28 is reserved for a Cultural Dinner, an invitation-only evening for partners, designers, cultural leaders and invited guests centred on networking and conversations around creativity and future collaboration. The week will culminate at The Pinnacle Kigali on May 30, with the Premium Runway, billed as the closing luxury experience of the week-long fashion event. According to organisers, this year’s event has been structured around three main experiences including a Red Carpet VIP arrival which will bring together invited guests and personalities from the creative industry, an Inner Circle networking session connecting designers with investors and fashion stakeholders, and a Final Runway presentation showcasing collections from established and emerging African designers. George Lugoloobi, the Founder of LG Events, described this year’s edition as a relaunch of the platform with broader ambitions for African fashion. “This is not just a runway return, it is the rebirth of a platform that celebrates African creativity, culture and luxury fashion while positioning Kigali as a continental fashion destination,” he said. Lugoloobi added that the event is intended to create stronger connections between African designers and international fashion audiences while also giving emerging creatives an opportunity to gain visibility. “We wanted this edition to create opportunities for collaboration, visibility and business connections between designers and fashion stakeholders across Africa,” he added. This year’s edition will bring together designers from seven African countries including Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sierra Leone, reflecting the organisers’ push toward positioning the showcase as a pan-African fashion platform. Rwanda will have one of the strongest representations on the runway with designers including Inkanda by Patrick, Matheo Studios, Do_be Couture, Nunu Fashions, Maison Marie and Kibessi. Other featured brands include Uganda’s Joan Jade and Shurea Yashmin, alongside labels from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Kenya and Nigeria, and fashion brand Emivazi.
