What's on in Addis
Hikes, gigs, markets and meetups — curated and checked, updated regularly.
Annual Showcase — Alle School of Fine Arts and Design
Wed, Aug 26 · 12:00 PM · Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, Addis Ababa University, Arat Kilo area
The annual graduating-student exhibition of the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, Ethiopia's foremost art school (part of Addis Ababa University), showing final works in painting, sculpture, printmaking, industrial design and interdisciplinary visual arts. A good free-form stop for visitors wanting a read on Ethiopia's emerging contemporary artists. The exhibition runs through October 16, 2026, per the announcement.
Japan & Jazz: Chonmage Japan with Yedesta Jazz Band
Wed, Aug 26 · 7:00 PM · Fendika @ Hyatt Regency, near Meskel Square (NOT the Kazanchis Fendika Cultural Center)
A one-night cultural exchange hosted by Fendika in partnership with the Embassy of Japan and Hyatt Regency, pairing visiting Japanese group Chonmage Japan with the local Yedesta Jazz Band, plus demonstrations of Japanese culture. Doors open 7:00 PM, DJ set 8:00 PM, live performance from 9:00 PM. Yedesta holds a weekly Wednesday jazz residency at Fendika's stage at the Hyatt Regency, so expect a polished ethio-jazz backdrop to the Japanese guest set.
400 birr
Fendika Azmari Night
Wed, Aug 26 · 9:00 PM · Fendika @ Hyatt Regency, Meskel Square
Nightly azmari sessions at Fendika, the famed Kazanchis azmari bet saved from demolition by dancer Melaku Belay and now Addis's best-known cultural venue. Azmaris are Ethiopia's traditional wandering minstrels — expect improvised, often playfully insulting sung commentary over masinko fiddle, plus eskista shoulder dancing you may be pulled into; tipping the performers is part of the tradition. On Fridays the house bands Ethiocolor or Negarit take the stage from around 8 PM.
Ashenda, Shadey & Solel Celebration with Ethiocolor
Fri, Aug 28 · 9:00 PM · Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa, Meskel Square
A hotel celebration of Ashenda, Shadey and Solel — the late-August festivals from Tigray, Amhara and northern Ethiopia in which girls and young women in braided hair and grass-skirt regalia fill the streets with song and drum-driven dance. The night is headlined by Ethiocolor, Melaku Belay's acclaimed traditional music-and-dance ensemble. Friday night from 9:00 PM at the Hyatt Regency on Meskel Square.
Addis Bamboo Bazaar
Sat, Aug 29 · 10:00 AM · Dok Restaurant, Cameroon St next to Bole Medhane Alem Church
A weekend craft market at Dok, the rooftop Italian restaurant next to Bole Medhane Alem Church, gathering local makers selling bamboo and handmade goods, original artworks and unique products. Side activities include a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, live music, canvas drawing and children's activities. Runs Saturday and Sunday, Aug 29-30, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily.
Afropia Dance Battle
Sat, Aug 29 · 3:00 PM · Children & Youth Theater, near Flamingo
An all-styles street-dance competition from the Afropia Dance Fest crew, pitting Addis's best crews and solo freestylers against each other live on stage. Previous editions (documented on Afropia's TikTok) drew top-16 knockout brackets mixing afro, hip-hop and Ethiopian traditional moves. Saturday from 3:00 PM at the Children & Youth Theater near Flamingo.
300 birr (tickets via Afromile)
Static — Afrohouse Night at Anki Liquor
Sat, Aug 29 · 7:00 PM · Anki Liquor, in front of Dembel City Center, Bole
Third edition of the Static afrohouse party series, taking over Anki Liquor opposite Dembel City Center on Bole Road. Expect DJ-driven afrohouse and amapiano-leaning sets from 7 PM until late — one of the easier ways for visitors to sample Addis's fast-growing electronic scene in a central, walkable location.
700 birr (tickets via Afromile)
Addis Open Air Cinema
Sun, Aug 30 · 6:00 PM · Marriott Executive Apartments, Addis Ababa
A movie night under the stars in the garden of the Marriott Executive Apartments, run by Chimp Event Promotion and powered by St. George Beer — big screen, popcorn, snack box and a sociable young-professional crowd. Beyond the film there are art corners and a small marketplace of local entrepreneurs. Sunday 6:00 PM to about 11:00 PM; tickets online (pazimo.com) or at the gate.
999 birr incl. screening + snack box (original post said 900 — see note)
Saq Jam Comedy — 4th Anniversary Show
Sun, Aug 30 · 6:00 PM · Addis International Convention Center (CMC)
Fourth-anniversary edition of Saq Jam, the show from Saq Central that grew from Addis's largest underground stand-up comedy night into a full evening of Amharic stand-up, live jazz, games and an expo-style market. Expect a large local crowd at the CMC convention center; sets are overwhelmingly in Amharic, so it suits visitors curious about Ethiopia's booming comedy scene more than punchline-by-punchline comprehension. Sunday from 6:00 PM.
Early bird 700 / regular 1,000 / VVIP 2,500 birr
Jazz Tuesday at Bazra Coffee
Tue, Sep 1 · 6:00 PM · Bazra Coffee, Giant Eagle Building, Roosevelt Street (Mexico Square area), Addis Ababa
Bazra Coffee's weekly Jazz Tuesday turns the industrial-chic Mexico-area coffee shop into a live stage from 6 to 9 pm, usually featuring Finot Band and guest vocalists (recent editions billed TG Gofere) over classic jazz and acoustic sets, with the cafe's food and single-origin brews served through the show. 200 birr entrance. Recurring weekly night rather than an individually announced date — Bazra posts each week's edition on @bazracoffee (Instagram), so glance there on the day.
200 birr entrance
Friday Night at Fendika: Ethiocolor / Negarit Ethio-Jazz
Fri, Sep 4 · 9:00 PM · Fendika @ Hyatt Regency, near Meskel Square (Friday cultural nights relocated here after the Kazanchis club was lost to redevelopment in 2024)
Fendika's flagship Friday cultural night, now at its Hyatt Regency stage near Meskel Square: DJ sets of golden-era Ethiopian vinyl from around 9 pm, then Melaku Belay's Ethiocolor band — three generations of traditional musicians, singers and eskista dancers — taking over about 10 pm. Historically Fridays alternated between Ethiocolor and Teferi Assefa's Ethio-jazz band Negarit, though every dated 2026 show found so far features Ethiocolor. Recurring night — which band plays Sep 4 isn't individually announced, so check @fendikaculturalcenter on Instagram that day.
~100 birr cover (last published rate; may be higher now)
Enkutatash — Ethiopian New Year 2019 E.C.
Fri, Sep 11 · 12:00 AM · Citywide — churches, homes and public squares across Addis Ababa
Enkutatash ('gift of jewels') is Ethiopian New Year — Meskerem 1 in the Ethiopian calendar — welcoming the year 2019 E.C. on 11 September 2026, just as the rains end and the hills turn gold with adey abeba daisies. Expect morning church services, families sharing doro wat and injera, and children singing 'Abebayehosh' door to door with bouquets of flowers; hotels and cultural restaurants across Addis put on special New Year programs. It's a public holiday, so many businesses close, and the festive buildup in markets like Shola and Merkato in the preceding days is a spectacle in itself.
Free
Meskel Demera Bonfire at Meskel Square
Sat, Sep 26 · 3:00 PM · Meskel Square, central Addis Ababa
Demera is the UNESCO-listed eve-of-Meskel bonfire ceremony: on 26 September 2026 (Meskel itself falls Sunday the 27th), hundreds of thousands fill Meskel Square as robed priests, deacons and Sunday-school choirs process with candles and chants around a giant daisy-decked pyre, which the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church lights around sunset. It commemorates the bonfire that, in tradition, led Empress Helena to the True Cross. Arrive by mid-afternoon — the square fills hours before the roughly 6 pm lighting, security screening lines are long, and standing room near the pyre goes fast; the smoke direction the next morning is traditionally read as an omen for the year.
Free
Africa Sourcing & Fashion Week (ASFW) 2026
Thu, Nov 12 · 10:00 AM · Addis International Convention Center, Lemi Kura Sub City, Addis Ababa
The 12th edition of Africa's biggest trade event for textiles, apparel, leather and fashion, gathering 200+ international manufacturers, sourcing buyers and designers, with a conference program and African designer runway shows. Runs 12-15 November 2026, 10 am-6 pm daily. Note for visitors: ASFW is open to trade visitors only (register in advance via the official site), and the venue is the Addis International Convention Center in Lemi Kura — not the old Exhibition Centre on Meskel Square.
Great Ethiopian Run 2026 (26th Edition)
Sun, Nov 22 · 12:00 PM · Central Addis Ababa 10km course, start/finish around Meskel Square
Africa's biggest road race turns the heart of Addis into a rolling street party: the 26th Great Ethiopian Run International 10km on Sunday 22 November 2026 expects a record 60,000 runners, most in matching race T-shirts, singing and dancing their way around the 2,400m-high course. Founded by Haile Gebrselassie, it's as much carnival as competition — walkers and joggers are welcome, and elite Ethiopian stars race at the front. Register early via ethiopianrun.org (international entry packages sell out); it's a Sunday-morning event with major road closures, so spectators should stake out Meskel Square early.