Kwaku Summer Festival kicks off in Amsterdam

Amsterdam's Kwaku summer festival is starting again. Over the next four weekends, the Nelson Mandelapark in Amsterdam-Zuidoost will be filled with music, food, and drinks, as well as the traditional football tournament, among other things. It is the 46th time that the festival is held.

Visitors can enjoy dishes such as nasi, pom, and bara at the dozens of stalls set up for the multicultural festival. But the program also includes debates, a pop-up museum, workshops for children, and the Bigi Sma Dey, a gathering for the elderly. In addition, performances by Sister Sledge, Kenny B, and Jeangu Macrooy, among others, are planned. There are also several theme days, such as Pink Sunday, Moluccan Day, as well as Hindu Day.

The festival began in 1975 as a small football tournament, then called Kwakoe, to give young people in the Bijlmermeer who could not go on vacation a good summer. Later it evolved into an event where not only football is played, but there is also room for debates, lectures, dance workshops, beauty contests, and musical performances. Kwaku also focuses on the atmosphere, food, and drinks. Each summer, the festival is held over four consecutive weekends.

The Kwaku Summer Festival is one of the larger festivals in the Netherlands and one of the largest events in Amsterdam, attracting around 300,000 visitors every year, according to the I amsterdam website. Last year, the festival attracted more than 140,000 visitors.