Badiar Arts Festival (FESTAB)

The festival

In Koundara, a prefecture in north-western Guinea (Boké region) on the borders with Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, FESTAB — the Badiar Arts Festival — is the great cultural celebration of the Badiar. Carried by the NGO PROPICE, through its General Commission, it turns the town into a showcase for the cultural heritage of the communities of Koundara and, beyond, of the neighbouring countries that share cultural, historical and geographical ties with the Badiar.

Culture, art, sharing, entertainment and training: FESTAB celebrates traditions, promotes talent, passes on heritage and strengthens the bonds between communities. Its 5th edition, from 26 to 31 December 2026, is announced as the edition "of maturity and cultural influence".

On the programme for the 5th edition

In the urban commune of Koundara, the General Commission and its partners are preparing six days of celebration:

• A grand caravan bringing together troupes from the different communities
• Traditional dances of the Badiar
• Messages of unity, peace and cohesion, and official speeches
• Inter-school tournaments
• Environmental protection awareness
• Traditional wrestling
• Performances by local and guest artists

Milestones

The 3rd edition, from 14 to 21 December 2024, was held under the theme "Culture, a Vector of Peace and Social Cohesion". In 2026, the festival changed general commissioner: Waly Nioké, a founding member of the NGO PROPICE, was unanimously appointed on 9 August 2026 in Cobaya (Conakry), the traditional seat of FESTAB; he succeeds Djibril Wagué, general commissioner from 2022 to 2026.

On 2 October 2026, for the 68th anniversary of Guinea's independence, the Bassari traditional dance troupe from Guingan — coordinated by the FESTAB General Commission, with the support of the Ministry of Culture — performed on the Boulevard de la Nation, in Conakry, before the President of the Republic and delegations from Senegal, Rwanda and Côte d'Ivoire: a first for the Badiar.