The African Book Festival returns to Berlin from May 29 to 31, 2026, and this edition does something no previous one has done: hands the keys to the audience.

Since its founding in 2018, the festival has operated on a model that has become one of its most distinctive features. Each year, a prominent literary figure is invited to serve as curator, setting the thematic and aesthetic direction for the entire programme. German-Nigerian writer Olumide Popoola opened the inaugural edition with “Writing in Migration.” Tsitsi Dangarembga of Zimbabwe followed. More recently, Ghanaian writer Ivana Akotowaa Ofori shaped the 2025 edition around African speculative fiction under the theme In Other Wor(l)ds. The rotating curator model has given each edition its own personality; a different regional lens, a different linguistic emphasis, a different set of questions to sit with.

This year, there is no single curator. The programme will be shaped instead through open calls, public voting, and the audience’s own suggestions for topics and guests. The title, Welcome to the Club, clearly prioritizes community.

That said, the festival’s creative advisory board remains in place, working alongside the InterKontinental programming team to ensure the shape of what emerges has coherence. The advisory board, established in 2025, includes Kevin Mwachiro, Chiponda Chimbelu, Ifeatu Nnaobi, Niq Mhlongo, and Edwige-Renée Dro, five writers and cultural figures who bring different geographies and expertise to the table.

The confirmed participant list is already strong. Joining the festival are Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin, Amat Levin, Ana Lucão Mvangi, Bisi Alimi, Dudu Busani-Dube, Edna Bonhomme, Edwige-Renée Dro, Fatin Abbas, Fikri Anıl Altıntaş, JJ Bola, Karen Jennings, Nadège Kusanika, Nick Makoha, Stella Gaitano, Tete Loeper, Troy Onyango, and Vamba Sherif. The full programme, including moderators and the specific events each writer will appear in, is still being finalised.

The festival has always been more than readings. Previous editions have featured panel discussions, music, theatre performances, poetry nights, and an outdoor market with books, food, and artisan goods. A Book Club Special, where book clubs from across Africa travel to Berlin to meet their Berlin counterparts, has become one of the festival’s most beloved recurring features. Expect all of this and more, shaped in part by what the audience has been asking for.

The venue this year is tak, Theater Aufbau Kreuzberg, at Prinzenstraße 85 F, 10969 Berlin (U Moritzplatz). This is a shift from the Alte Münze in Mitte, where the festival has previously been held. Tickets are on sale now through Fyne Event, a Black-owned ticketing platform. Options include a Festival Pass covering all three days (including the Friday opening event), a Day Pass for Saturday, and a Day Pass for Sunday. Discounted pricing is available for students, pupils, pensioners, InterKontinental members, and anyone whose budget is tight right now — no questions asked. Walk-up tickets at the box office are subject to availability on the day.

The programme is being built in real time with audience input, so following along matters more than usual this year. Follow @abfberlin on Instagram for updates, and subscribe to the InterKontinental newsletter at africanbookfestival.de to receive news and book recommendations ahead of the weekend. Purchase tickets here. For ticket questions, write to [email protected].