MONTREAL, NOMADE POSES HIS VALISES : THE AFROPOLITAIN NOMADE FESTIVAL VIBRATES TIOHTIÀ:KE !
He travelled from Douala to Dakar, from Pointe-Noire to Abidjan — and it was in Montreal, Tiohtià:ke, that the Afropolitain Nomade Festival chose to anchor itself. For its 12th edition, its series "Traces et Héritages" made the Ministry resonate the voices of three continents, under the slogan that has always guided it: "art that changes codes".
One evening in Montreal in May. In the Ministry, the room is filled, the time is approaching — 8 p.m. — and it is felt that it will not be a concert like any other. On the poster of the 12th edition of the Afropolitain Nomade Festival, a name is replaced by a program: Tiohtià:ke, the name of Montreal. The nomadic festival is at home here — and tonight, in its musical series "Traces et Héritages", the voices of three continents will respond.
On Friday, May 29, 2026, Côte d'Ivoire opened the ball with Amee Slam; Cameroon responded with Nda Chi; Haiti and Canada gave hands in Richy Jay; and the Congo by Floric Kim closed the evening. Four artists, four accents, one scene — and a Montreal audience travelling without leaving its seat, tickets to $28.
On Saturday, May 30, the conversation continued: Rodriguez Vangama from DRC, Bo The Qu-ing from France, Hendry Massamba from Congo and Lydol from Cameroon. Eight voices in two nights, from Africa to Europe and the Caribbean — exactly the bridge that the festival has built since its birth.
Because this festival was born nomadic. Created in 2012, it is led by Afropolitan organization, founded in Montreal in October 2011 by Vanessa Kanga — aka Veeby, a Cameroonian singer. From Douala to Dakar, from Pointe-Noire to Abidjan, to Montreal: the road is long and bearing fruit — more than 700 artists, more than 1,500 concerts and residences produced in Africa and Quebec. In 2024, its 10th edition — the first in Montreal, from May 27 to June 1 — spread its theme as a manifesto: "From roots to life, wings to mind: redefining the boundaries of creativity." Nomadity did not go away: it ended in Montreal anchor.
The Afropolitan Nomade Festival, a multi-disciplinary festival, combines Afro-Contemporaneous music, dance, visual arts, fashion, conferences, workshops and creative residences — up to a Leadership through the Arts program. Its mission is to decolonize imaginations, promote gender equality, create intercultural bridges between Africa, the diaspora and the world. In charge: Vanessa Kanga, Director General and Founder; Fredy Massamba, Artistic Director; Ashley Gnahoua, Production Director.
Around the concerts, the reflection is never far away: on 20 May 2026, the McCord Stewart Museum hosted the round table "Solidarity and artistic diffusion between Afrodescendant and indigenous communities"; on 30 May, at the Sanaaq Centre, Vanessa Kanga gave the opening conference — keynote — on the African-Francophonie cultural markets.
And then there was February. For Black History Month, the festival lived at the McCord Stewart Museum, a residence of international creation, crowned by a show on February 14-15, 2026 at the J. Armand Bombardier Theatre: the meeting of Anachnid, artist of the Oji-Crie Nation, and Jahelle Bonee, who came from Côte d'Ivoire, under the artistic direction of Fredy Massamba — with the Round Table of Black History Month, Studio Mboka Sound and the Darling Foundation as partners. Two legacies, one scene: this is also what is happening, "Traces et Héritages".
"The Art that Changes the Codes": in Montreal, the nomad found his home port — without ever giving up the road. Festival TV between the Afropolitan Nomade Festival in its global catalogue, with its complete file. The next edition will announce its dates: we will be there to relay them, microphone in hand.
Practical information
Afropolitain Nomade Festival — Montréal (Tiohtià:ke), Quebec, Canada
12th edition: "Traces et Héritages" musical series, May 29 and 30, 2026 at the Department (The Department), Montreal — concerts at 8 p.m., tickets $28; activities 2026 also at the McCord Stewart Museum
Friday, May 29: Amee Slam (Côte d'Ivoire), Nda Chi (Cameroon), Richy Jay (Haiti/Canada), Floric Kim (Congo)
Saturday 30 May: Rodriguez Vangama (RDC), Bo The Qu-ing (France), Hendry Massamba (Congo), Lydol (Cameroon)
Director: Vanessa Kanga (founder and CEO), Fredy Massamba (artist director), Ashley Gnahoua (production director)
Next edition: dates to be announced
Official website: https://artsfestivalafropolitainnomade.com/ — Facebook: facebook.com/afropolitainnomad — Instagram: @afropolitannomad
— Moïse 1er, the Festival Explorer