What to know
- KUUMBA 2026 continues at Harbourfront Centre through February 28, celebrating Black Futures through multidisciplinary, diaspora-driven programming.
- This week’s highlights include the Afro-Franco Music Showcase on February 15 and Hollywood Jade Presents: DIVA on February 21, spotlighting Afro-Francophone sound and Black Queer drag.
- With ticketed and accessible events across music and performance, KUUMBA creates space for celebration, connection and bold artistic expression.
Harbourfront Centre is the place to be this February, as Toronto’s largest Black Futures Month festival, KUUMBA, continues another week of powerful music and unforgettable performances.
For more than three decades, the festival has amplified Black creativity and honoured cultural legacy through an expansive mix of performances, workshops, visual arts, music and community-centred programming.
Now in its 31st edition, KUUMBA remains rooted in that same spirit: a new year, but with the same energy and intention.
Running from February 1 to 28, 2026, KUUMBA brings together artists and audiences from across the African diaspora, creating space for connection through multidisciplinary, future-focused programming.
This week, the festival turns its attention to sound, performance and bold self-expression.
On Feb. 15, Black History Month: Afro-Franco Music Showcase takes centre stage, celebrating Afro-Francophone voices and musical traditions. Featuring Nigerian musician Boubé, Beninese singer-songwriter Carine au Micro and Congolese performer Naxx Bitota, the showcase highlights the richness of Black expression shaped by language, migration and place.
Through rhythm, storytelling and genre-bending sounds – from Afro-pop and jazz, to hip-hop, gospel and even some traditional music – the showcase invites audiences to experience the beauty of Afro-Francophone music head-on. Single tickets for the showcase are priced at $25.
Later in the week, on Feb. 21, the spotlight shifts to a Black and beautiful drag performance with unapologetic artistry and real queen energy! That weekend, all eyes are on Hollywood Jade Presents: DIVA. Featuring drag stars Hollywood Jade, The Virgo Queen, Batty Banks, Karamilk, and Vitality Black, this night celebrates Black queer excellence, choreography and iconic music. Dance and fashion will collide to the backdrop of Tina Turner, Brandy, Doechii and Janet Jackson in a space of joy, confidence and community. Tickets for this showcase are $50.
Together, these events capture the heartbeat of KUUMBA – a festival that amplifies Afro-diasporic voices, embraces cultural diversity, and creates space for celebration, reflection and connection.
For more information on this year’s celebration, head to Harbourfront Centre’s website.
