One of the newer arts and culture events held outside the country, Moto Moto Festival promises to bring the heat to Europe for the second time, celebrating homegrown and diasporic talent. The genre-blending Victoria Falls band Mokoomba will headline this year’s event, bringing their foot-stomping beats to the stage alongside Mary Anibal’s mbira magic, Feli Nandi’s Afro-Fusion and Awa Khiwe’s rhythm-backed storytelling for a memorable “cultural experience.” Also on the program is dancehall up-and-comer Nisha Ts, whose position as a National Arts Merit Awards finalist earlier this year gained her notable recognition.

Unlike last year’s instalment, ZimFest Live 2025 is a one-day-only affair, but the stacked lineup makes up for it. Reggae-dancehall maestro Winky D will once again headline, and he’ll be joined by peers such as SaintFloew and DJ Maphorisa, making for a day that will blend urban Zimbabwean tunes with pulsing amapiano. Not to be confused with the similarly named music event in the US, ZimFest Live is easily one of the largest festival experiences centring Zimbabwean music. With a roster of past performers that includes the legendary Thomas Mapfumo, it’s no wonder the event generates buzz each year.

Somehow, Zimbabweans managed to build a solid enough community in the Pacific Northwest of the US to keep the Zimbabwean Music Festival afloat since 1991. Thousands of miles away from home, a group of students introduced Zimbabwean music to one of the northwesternmost points of the US and stamped the art form into the cultural landscape of a geographical region that doesn’t necessarily conjure up an image of Southern African music. Nonetheless, the annual gathering has been a mainstay. Officially trademarked Zimfest™, the festival is back with a lineup of workshops and performances by musicians, choreographers and cultural leaders.

Learnmore Jonasi made a name for himself by taking jabs at, well, himself. The comedian’s self-deprecating humour makes light of his upbringing in the village, his height - he was previously known as Long John the Comedian - and his exploits as an African man from Mutare navigating life between two worlds. All of this landed him fifth place on America’s Got Talent 2024 and first place in worldwide comedy competitions. Still, he’s humbly coming back home of his own volition for the “Deported Back to Africa” part of his tour, with two shows in Harare and one each in Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.

Filling the theatre-sized void left behind by the Harare International Festival of the Arts, Mitambo International Theatre Festival brings five days of drama to the capital. In the past, the festival has made room for music, poetry and dance, but stage theatre has remained its bread and butter. Previous actors have made their way from as far as Switzerland and Germany to bring to life themes such as “Converge” and “Connect.” This year, local and international thespians, panellists and industry professionals will “Redefine” traditions with performances and workshops that upend and experiment with cultural norms.

Artists at the Chitungwiza Arts Centre had much to say about Cecil John Rhodes’ colonialist legacy in Zimbabwe, and they did so through sculptures. Out of over 100 submitted works of art, four were selected for exhibition at the University of Oxford’s Oriel College, where Rhodes was a student and where a statue of him currently stands. The Zimbabwean-made sculptures counter the Rhodes statue, exploring themes of oppression and freedom during and after colonial rule. The pieces will travel throughout Oxford during the exhibition period.