Hosted at Jinja Jungle

Jinja International
Poetry Festival

Held 25–27 September 2026 · Jinja Jungle, Buwenda, Jinja, Uganda

About The Festival

A meeting point, not a spectacle.

From 25–27 September 2026, the Jinja International Poetry Festival came back to Jinja Jungle — three days of readings, music and conversation on our stretch of the Nile, just outside Jinja city.

The festival is still young, and it feels like it: less a big literary event, more a gathering of people who care about poetry and language. Writers, musicians and audiences share the same lawns for a weekend — reading their own work, listening to others, talking between sessions, staying up for the music that carries into the evening.

There's a poetic appropriateness to holding it here, close to where the Nile begins.

Festival grounds under the old tree at Jinja Jungle
Programme

A festival weekend here looks like —

2027 festival details are coming soon — they'll go up on @jinjapoetry.festival on Instagram — or reach out on WhatsApp to be kept in the loop.

In Pictures

From the festival.

A few photos from the 2025 festival — 2026 pics coming soon.

Highlights

Why people come.

An all-African line-up — Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda and more. In 2025, every performer and poet was from somewhere in Africa, and the poetry was shared, often in local languages, without being translated or adjusted.

Room to stay — festival-goers stay right here at Jinja Jungle, part of the festival grounds, or camp for less. See where you can sleep →

2027

2027 festival details coming soon.

Follow the festival on Instagram to be first to hear, or message the festival team on WhatsApp.

Follow @jinjapoetry.festival →