20 African Culture Events Not to Miss in June 2026
In June 2026, a series of 20 cultural events celebrating African and Afro-descendant heritage will take place in various cities, including Caen, Cape Town, Paris, and London. Notable events feature the inauguration of Grada Kilomba's L'Archive in Paris on June 2; Nacera Belaza's La Nuée at CCN Caen on June 3-4; the Encounters documentary festival in South Africa from June 4-14; Youss Atacora's Offrance at Galerie Vallois, Paris, starting June 4; Lassana Sarre's Globale Inversion at Palais de Tokyo on June 5; and Emmanuel Awuni's Les traces du vivant at MAGNIN-A, Paris, on June 11. Additionally, exhibitions by Khalid Benghrib, Souleymane Keïta, and Laila Hida will be featured, along with the Restitutions symposium in Paris on June 16.
Key facts
- L'Archive by Grada Kilomba inaugurated June 2 in Paris, honoring Tutsi genocide victims.
- Nacera Belaza presents La Nuée at CCN Caen on June 3-4.
- Encounters documentary festival runs June 4-14 in Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg.
- Lassana Sarre's Globale Inversion Inversion opens June 5 at Palais de Tokyo.
- Leasho Johnson's first European solo show opens June 6 at Galerie Mariane Ibrahim.
- Blackground: murmures des mornes opens June 12 at CAPC Bordeaux.
- Souleymane Keïta solo show at Galerie Cécile Fakhoury during Art Basel 2026.
- Breaking Down Realities at Tiwani Contemporary, London.
Entities
Artists
- Grada Kilomba
- Nacera Belaza
- Nondumiso Masache
- Elan Gamaker
- Youss Atacora
- Lassana Sarre
- Djamel Tatah
- Leasho Johnson
- Baudouin Mouanda
- Wilfried Mbida
- Maurice Pellosh
- David Udeochukwu
- Emmanuel Awuni
- Jessy Razafimandimby
- Khalid Benghrib
- Souleymane Keïta
- Laila Hida
- Nifemi Marcus-Bello
- Hadassa Ngamba
- Dawit L. Petros
- Muzae Sesay
- Henry Taylor
- Gonçalo Ivo
- Abdelhak Benallou
- Igshaan Adams
- Ladji Diaby
- Cheryl Marie Wade
- Ousmane Dia
- Mona Taha
- Joseph Ntensibe
- Donald Wasswa
- Mamadou Cissé
- Tiffanie Delune
- Paul Ndema
- Rym Karou
- Johny Pitts
- Ahmed Bouanani
Institutions
- Centre national des arts plastiques
- Centre chorégraphique national de Caen
- Encounters - South African International Documentary Festival
- Galerie Vallois
- Palais de Tokyo
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon
- Musée national Magnin
- Galerie Mariane Ibrahim
- Galerie Person
- Galerie Art et Société
- Memphis Brooks Museum
- MAGNIN-A
- CAPC Bordeaux
- LaM Lille
- Haus der Kulturen der Welt
- Ferme du Buisson
- MansA – Maison des Mondes Africains
- Festival de Marseille
- Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme
- Art Basel
- Galerie Cécile Fakhoury
- Jeu de Paume – Château de Tours
- Tiwani Contemporary
- Musée Picasso Paris
- Kyklos – Centre for Arts and Cultures
- Serpentine Galleries
- Maison Gacha
- Galerie Les Filles du Calvaire
- Mudam Luxembourg
- Lafayette Anticipations
- Musée des Confluences
- Galerie Filafriques
- Musée d'Art moderne de Paris
- Maison européenne de la photographie
- Galerie Christophe Person
- Espace Monte-Cristo
- Galerie Afriart
- Institut des Afriques
Locations
- Caen
- France
- Cape Town
- South Africa
- Pretoria
- Johannesburg
- Paris
- Dijon
- Brussels
- Belgium
- Memphis
- United States
- Bordeaux
- Lille
- Noisiel
- Berlin
- Germany
- Marseille
- Basel
- Switzerland
- Tours
- London
- United Kingdom
- Minnesota
- Djougou
- Benin
- Montego Bay
- Jamaica
- Chicago
- Congo
- Accra
- Ghana
- Madagascar
- Morocco
- Senegal
- Lagos
- Nigeria
- Boma
- Lubumbashi
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Montreal
- Canada
- Oakland
- California
- Athens
- Montréal
- Tunis
- Lyon
- Genève
- Vincennes
- Luxembourg
- Avignon
- Cannes
- Kampala
- Marrakech
- Gabès
- Dakar
- Algiers
- Mali
- Ouganda
- Sénégal
- Bénin
- Égypte
- Tunisie