LIAAF

31/08/2026

05/08/2026

A heartfelt thank you to our partners for believing in the vision of LIAAF 2026.

Your support helped create a space where African stories, creativity, and communities could come together to inspire, connect, and celebrate.

Thank you for being part of this journey. We look forward to creating even more together.

05/08/2026

LIAAF 2026 would not have been possible without the incredible team behind it.

Thank you to every volunteer, organiser, artist, technician, and team member whose passion, creativity, and hard work brought this year’s festival to life. Your dedication made every moment possible.

Thank you for making LIAAF 2026 unforgettable. ❤️

26/06/2026

Hello,
You are warmly invited to a special private screening of Minding Our Own Business, hosted in partnership with the Leeds International African Arts Festival (LIAAF). This powerful new film spotlights Black entrepreneurs from across West Yorkshire, celebrating their journeys of endeavour, resilience, and purpose in business.

Produced by Luke Walwyn Studio in collaboration with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Minding Our Own Business uses people‑centred storytelling to show why visibility matters: when we can see ourselves reflected in business and leadership, we are more able to imagine our own success.

Event details

Venue: Everyman Cinema, Trinity Leeds

Date: Tuesday 14 July

Time: 12pm – 2pm

What to expect

A short introduction to the film, its origins, and why amplifying Black entrepreneurship in West Yorkshire is so important right now.

Screening of Minding Our Own Business.

A 60‑second introduction from each entrepreneur featured on stage, sharing who they are and what drives their work.

Audience Q&A and open discussion about visibility, access to support, and the future of Black‑led business in our region.

Informal networking and conversation in the cinema space to build new connections and collaborations.

RSVP
Please confirm your attendance by replying to this message or using the link in bio.

We hope you can join us for this celebration of enterprise, community and the belief that “there’s no success without endeavour.”

28/05/2026

LIAAF 2026 begins with an opening ceremony celebrating African creativity, storytelling, music, community, and connection under this year’s festival theme, Connect with Nature.

Hosted by comedian and MC , the ceremony will bring together artists, cultural leaders, communities, and audiences for the official opening of EARTHWISE, LIAAF’s photography exhibition created in partnership with Photo North Festival.

The event will also feature a special live performance by Sudanese artist, producer, and social activist Shabaka, whose music blends rhythm, culture, and powerful storytelling into unforgettable performances.

This is where the festival begins. The conversations. The music. The energy. The people.

📍 Slung Low Warehouse, LS11 9RQ
📅 Thursday 04 June 2026
🕚 Opening Ceremony: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
🎟 Free Entry

Click the link in our bio to get your tickets.

28/05/2026

This year at LIAAF 2026, we dance.

From the revolutionary sound of Fela Kuti to the energy of Afrobeat moving across generations, the LIAAF Dance Party is a celebration of music, movement, freedom, and release under this year’s festival theme, Connect with Nature.

As the world celebrates Fela Kuti’s legendary album Zombie being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, we honour the music, culture, and spirit that continue to shape dance floors across Africa and beyond.

The night will also feature dance artist leading audiences in a special dance experience to Water No Get Enemy, inviting everyone into a moment of rhythm, joy, and collective movement.

No rules. No pressure. Just good music, community, and a dance floor full of energy.

📍 Slung Low Warehouse
📅 Friday 05 June 2026
🕡 6:30 PM – 10:45 PM

🎟 Click the link in our bio to get your tickets.

AfricanCulture

28/05/2026

Hair has always carried stories of identity, culture, care, and tradition.

Step Into Africa invites families to an afternoon of storytelling, music, crafts, and cultural connection celebrating African heritage and the beauty of our crowns.

As part of LIAAF 2026 and this year’s theme, Connect with Nature, stylist, model, and hair artist Monique will lead a special Crown Care & Heritage workshop exploring traditional African hair care using shea butter, oils, black soap, and ancestral knowledge passed through generations.

Families will also experience Paper Dolls: Coiff, Coils & Curls, an interactive creative session inspired by African hairstyles, identity, and cultural expression through paper dolls and storytelling.

Enjoy live music and poetry from Hekima, interactive experiences, and a joyful space for communities to connect through African culture.

📍 Meanwood Urban Valley Farm
📅 Saturday 06 June 2026
🕝 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
🎟 Free Entry

Click the link in our bio to get your tickets.

26/05/2026

We asked the LIAAF team to describe African culture in one word, and somehow each answer captured something completely different while still feeling deeply connected.

That is the spirit of LIAAF 2026.

Under this year’s festival theme, Connect with Nature, the festival explores identity, creativity, heritage, storytelling, community, and the connections that continue to shape African culture across generations and across the diaspora.

This June, audiences across Leeds will experience films, exhibitions, performances, conversations, workshops, and moments that stay with you long after the festival ends.

🎟 Click the link in our bio to get your tickets.

26/05/2026

As part of this year’s LIAAF theme, Connect with Nature, we asked the team a simple question: what African food do you think everyone should try, and how would you describe it in one word?

The answers quickly became bigger than food itself. They became stories about home, comfort, memory, celebration, family, and the deep cultural connections carried through African cuisine across generations.

This is the kind of energy waiting for you at LIAAF 2026. Real conversations. Real culture. Real connection.

🎟 Click the link in our bio to get your tickets.

26/05/2026

Meet some of the people helping shape LIAAF 2026.

John, Monique, Tuiya, Correia, and Joachim are part of the team bringing this year’s festival theme to life through film, art, culture, conversation, food, music, and shared experiences across Leeds.

Behind every screening, exhibition, performance, and cultural moment is a team working to create a festival that feels vibrant, welcoming, and deeply connected to community.

This is your first look at the people behind the experience everyone will be talking about this June.

🎟 Click the link in our bio to get your tickets.