Cascades: The 2nd edition of the International Waterfall Festival (FESTICAS) was officially launched on Saturday on the banks of Lake Tengrela, a few kilometers from Banfora, in the presence of administrative and cultural authorities and numerous festival-goers. The event concludes on April 11.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the festival is held under the patronage of the Minister Secretary General of the Government and the Council of Ministers, Ousmane Ouattara. This year's edition takes place from April 4 to 11, 2026, around the theme "Culture and Tourism in the Service of Economic Development." In his address, Minister Ouattara highlighted culture as "the unshakeable foundation of national resilience" and a strategic lever for strengthening social cohesion and attachment to the homeland.
Minister Ouattara stated that FESTICAS positions itself as a platform for dialogue, promoting cultural identities, and showcasing the tourism potential of the Cascades region. The festival's general commissioner, Mamadou Yougos Kone, praised the results of the first edition, held in April 2025, which attracted thousands of visitors and generated economic benefits for local businesses. Between 40,000 and 50,000 visitors are expected for this second edition.
Throughout the festival's eight days, attendees will enjoy a program including tourist circuits, concerts by national and international artists, panels, a shopping street, a half-marathon, and awareness activities. The promoter expressed the ambition to make FESTICAS a space for development, a springboard for artists, and a market for artisans, fostering exchanges between communities.
The festival's first day featured an evening ceremony honoring the fighting forces, during which participants sang the national anthem, and two motorcycles were presented in support of the forces engaged in securing the territory. FESTICAS aims to be a major cultural and tourist showcase, contributing to the promotion of the Cascades region as a destination and to local economic development.