IBAFEST Annual Festival
An annual celebration of books, literature, arts, culture, and ideas, rooted in Ibadan and connected to wider literary and creative communities.
Why Ibadan?
Ibadan has long been a meeting place for writers, scholars, artists, publishers, educators, and thinkers. Its literary and cultural history has contributed significantly to intellectual and creative life in Nigeria.
It is a city where books, ideas, education, performance, scholarship, and artistic expression have found room to grow. IBAFEST is rooted in this setting and draws from the city’s longstanding relationship with literary and cultural life.
A City of Literary and Cultural Significance
The city is home to the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s oldest university, and has been closely associated with generations of writers, academics, artists, journalists, and cultural institutions.
Its institutions, communities, and creative spaces have provided a setting for important conversations about Nigerian literature, society, history, and culture.
A Festival Rooted in Culture
IBAFEST builds on this heritage by creating a contemporary space for writers, readers, artists, scholars, students, publishers, and cultural practitioners to meet, exchange ideas, and engage with the books and artistic works of our time.
While rooted in Ibadan, the festival’s conversations extend beyond the city. Its physical and virtual programmes connect local audiences with participants from across Nigeria, Africa, and the diaspora.
New Voices
A platform for emerging writers, artists, young readers, and new creative voices to participate and be heard.
New Conversations
A meeting point for thoughtful conversations about literature, arts, culture, society, and the world around us.
Shared Experience
A shared space where audiences, creators, and cultural practitioners can learn, participate, and exchange ideas.
An Annual Gathering
IBAFEST is an annual gathering that brings together new voices, new works, and new conversations while remaining connected to the cultural character of Ibadan.
From emerging writers and young readers to established authors, artists, scholars, publishers, and cultural practitioners, the festival provides a shared space for participation, learning, and exchange.
Books, Arts and the City
At its heart, IBAFEST is a celebration of the relationship between books, the arts, and the communities in which they exist. Ibadan provides the setting, while its histories, people, and creative traditions remain an enduring part of the festival’s story.
A Festival Rooted in Ibadan
Every year, IBAFEST returns to this city with books, ideas, art, and people at the centre of the gathering.