The Kwaku Summer Festival takes place once a year in the Zuidoost district of Amsterdam and is the largest multicultural event of its kind in the Netherlands.
In 1975, the summer festival began as a soccer tournament for the residents of the "Zuidoost" (South-East) district of the then "Stichting Jongeren Centrum Kwakoe" foundation. The soccer matches were held on the sports field of today's "Bijlmerplein" and have been held in the "Bijlmerpark" since 1983. Over the years, the festival expanded to include music, dancing, food stalls, films, literature and art. In the beginning, the festival was mainly attended by Surinamese, people from the Antilles and a number of African countries based in the Netherlands. In recent years, visitors from other cultures have increasingly taken part in the festival.
The theme of the 2010 Kwaku Festival was The Celebrationyear, to get acquainted with the culture and tropical dishes of Suriname. It was also the thirty-fifth Kwakoe Festival, which was expected to attract 350,000 visitors. A special program was organized for children, the "Kinderdorp" (Children's Village).
Various events were organized for the festival: "De mainstage", dance workshop, live music and disc jockeys. "De Culturestage", also with music, dance and singing. "De Beauty Lounge" for massages and other services, for tattoos or to choose a party outfit. In addition, for the first time in 35 years, the "Kwakoe Business Meeting 2010" took place in the "Bijlmerpark", a meeting for small new entrepreneurs to get to know each other.
Over the years, the number of visitors has risen to almost 500,000 and the festival is considered the "largest mulicultural festival in Europe". The festival activities for 2023 can be found here:
kwakufestival.nl
The Kwaku SUMMER FESTIVAL will take place this year from
July 15 to August 6, 2023
