Codebeans
An annual gathering for profound imagination
ZABAFEST 2.0
Reclaiming the Future
A multidisciplinary festival in Zaria where books, art, performance, media, technology, and civic dialogue ask harder questions about the future.
23-25 April 2026WAT (UTC+1)Bookish Alchemy
Reclaiming the FutureBooksArtsMediaTechnologyCivic DialogueZaria, Kaduna State, NigeriaReclaiming the FutureBooksArtsMediaTechnologyCivic DialogueZaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
Notable Partners
The organisations helping ZABAFEST travel further.
A quick look at the institutions, platforms, and collaborators helping the festival build reach, credibility, and cultural momentum.
BYY Innovations
Why ZABAFEST Matters
A northern festival for books, art, and public imagination.
Founded by Bookish Alchemy, ZABAFEST is a yearly gathering where writers, artists, journalists, technologists, students, policymakers, and cultural workers meet in one public space to debate ideas, share stories, and imagine fairer futures.
01
Northern stories need stronger stages
Northern Nigeria carries deep traditions of storytelling and scholarship, yet too few public platforms consistently invest in literary and cultural exchange.
02
Young people deserve rooms for serious thought
ZABAFEST creates a space where students, early-career creatives, and curious audiences can question power, imagine differently, and participate in public life.
03
Culture belongs in civic conversation
Books, art, journalism, and technology are treated as forces that shape truth, memory, justice, and the futures communities are being asked to inherit.
04
Creative communities grow through encounter
Panels, performances, workshops, and informal exchange help writers, artists, institutions, and audiences build relationships that outlast one weekend.
Festival Tracks01 02 03 04 05
The recurring pillars that keep every edition rooted and expansive.
From literary culture to digital life, ZABAFEST moves across disciplines without losing its center in public conversation.
Books and Literary Culture
Author conversations, criticism, reading communities, and the craft of making literature matter in public.
Arts, Performance, and Memory
Poetry, visual art, film, and performance as ways of preserving memory and widening collective imagination.
Media, Journalism, and Truth
Reporting, criticism, and public storytelling in a time of misinformation, speed, and contested narratives.
Technology and Digital Society
How platforms, data, digital labor, and online culture are reshaping attention, power, and belonging.
Governance, Justice, and Public Life
Conversations about citizenship, equity, policy, and the political futures communities are being asked to inherit.
Programme Highlights
Recurring formats that make each edition feel urgent, social, and alive.
01
Keynotes and Public Conversations
Big-picture sessions that frame each edition's theme and bring difficult questions into the open.
02
Panels on Culture, Governance, and Society
Interdisciplinary dialogue where literature meets politics, technology, gender, climate, and public memory.
03
Book Chats and Author Encounters
Intimate conversations that connect readers with writers, ideas, and the making of contemporary literature.
04
Poetry Slam and Open Mic
A high-energy stage for emerging voices, spoken-word performance, and live audience connection.
05
Workshops and Masterclasses
Practical sessions for writers, artists, students, and cultural workers building craft and confidence.
06
Exhibitions, Screenings, and Cultural Experiences
Visual art, film, performance, and place-based moments that make the festival feel lived rather than merely scheduled.
Tickets and Festival Merch
Choose how you want to show up
Whether you are joining the conversations in person or carrying a piece of the festival with you, these are the ways to buy into this edition of ZABAFEST.
Regular
N5000
Regular Ticket
General admission for all three festival days.
3-day festival accessSecure yoursStudent
N4000
Student Ticket
Discounted access for students with valid ID at check-in.
Student access passSecure yoursMerch
N5000
Tote Bag
Festival merchandise for carrying a piece of this edition with you.
Festival keepsakeSecure yoursSpeakers and Contributors
An interdisciplinary stage for people shaping culture and public thought.
Writers, Poets, and Critics
Authors, readers, critics, and spoken-word performers shaping the language and argument of contemporary literary culture.
Artists, Filmmakers, and Performers
Visual storytellers, performers, and image-makers whose work expands memory, atmosphere, and public imagination.
Journalists, Editors, and Scholars
Researchers, editors, and public thinkers bringing context, evidence, and rigor to the festival's central questions.
Organizers, Policymakers, and Civic Thinkers
Practitioners and organisers connecting culture to citizenship, collective responsibility, and social change.
ZABAFEST is calling
The countdown is on
As ZABAFEST approaches, the next edition begins to take shape through new conversations, invited voices, and the growing anticipation of gathering in Zaria again.
Partners and Sponsors
Support that helps the festival grow without flattening its identity.
ZABAFEST works best with institutions, brands, and communities that value cultural seriousness, audience trust, and public impact.
Lead and Founding Partners
Institutions and brands helping anchor the annual edition while expanding the festival's reach, credibility, and cultural ambition.
Programme and Experience Partners
Collaborators supporting conversations, workshops, screenings, installations, performances, and audience-facing experiences.
Community and Media Partners
Campus, civic, and media networks helping the festival stay rooted in audience, place, and public conversation.
Media and Archive
A living memory for each edition, not a one-time campaign dump.
The archive keeps photographs, session highlights, press, and recaps visible so the festival story remains alive between editions.
Festival photographs and visual documentation
Visual records of the audiences, performances, installations, and encounters that give each edition its texture.
Session recaps and published highlights
A curated record of standout ideas, memorable sessions, and conversations worth returning to after the festival ends.
Press features, interviews, and media mentions
Coverage that shows how the festival travels beyond the venue into wider cultural and civic conversation.
FAQ
Practical answers for audiences, collaborators, and future participants.
Who is ZABAFEST for?
ZABAFEST is for readers, writers, artists, filmmakers, journalists, students, academics, cultural workers, policymakers, and curious members of the public who want to engage ideas seriously.
Do I need to be a writer or artist to attend?
No. The festival is designed for both practitioners and audiences. You can come to listen, learn, debate, discover new work, and participate in the wider cultural atmosphere.
What changes from one edition to the next?
Each edition carries a new theme, new guests, and new programme details, while the larger ZABAFEST commitment to literature, arts, civic dialogue, and public imagination remains consistent.
Can organisations, schools, or media platforms collaborate?
Yes. ZABAFEST welcomes partnerships that strengthen audience reach, learning, documentation, cultural exchange, and the practical experience of each edition.
How do I stay close to the next edition?
Follow the festival on Instagram, watch for announcements on the site, and join the next-edition waitlist once that prompt becomes active.
Contact
Reach the team behind the festival and the next edition.
For partnerships, media enquiries, participation questions, and general festival conversations, contact Bookish Alchemy directly.
Organized by
Bookish Alchemy
Email the Team
Call or Follow
+234 901 613 6354
@zabafest