2,335 entrepreneurs
Supported through festival-linked markets, services, and community economic activity.
Tumaini Festival
Celebrating the legacy of the world's only refugee camp-based arts and culture festival.
Celebrating 10 Years of Tumaini
Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi
230K+
attendees documented since 2014
615
performing acts across editions
25
countries represented by artists
61M+
people reached through media
Our Story
About Tumaini Festival
Tumaini Festival is not just an event listing. It is a record of how displaced communities, host communities, artists, and visitors built a public space for culture inside Dzaleka.
Founded in 2014 by Menes La Plume, Tumaini Festival grew from a camp-based cultural gathering into one of Malawi's most significant arts events. It serves as an extraordinary platform for cultural exchange, community integration, and refugee empowerment through music, poetry, theater, and dance.
Held annually at Dzaleka Refugee Camp, the festival brings together refugees, Malawian locals, and international guests to celebrate unity, promote coexistence, and showcase local camp talent alongside popular artists.
Festival History
Explore the Festival Record
A year-by-year archive of themes, highlights, performers, and source notes from Dzaleka Refugee Camp.
Impact
Impact, In Plain Numbers
Generating over $150,000 in annual community revenue, the festival keeps statistics connected to the story they came from: culture, livelihoods, visibility, and community connection.
1,500 jobs annually
Seasonal work and related opportunities connected to festival preparation and delivery.
2,000+ beneficiaries
Supported through the community homestay program, providing vital income to refugee households.
Data note: Figures are compiled from Tumaini Letu impact reports, official festival records, and verified media coverage through 2025.
Program Schedule
Open Program Schedule
Explore the Festival Program
Search and filter the official stages, schedules, and performing acts at the Tumaini Festival.
Press Record
How The World Has Covered Tumaini
Selected coverage from international and Malawian outlets, kept as source material for the festival's public memory.
Daily Sabah
Joy and resilience shine at Malawi's Tumaini Festival
Coverage of the 2024 anniversary edition and the cultural life of the Dzaleka festival grounds.
Read article
The Guardian
Music festival brings hope to refugees in Malawi
An early international record of how the festival challenged outside perceptions of refugee life.
Read article
Deutsche Welle
Uniting refugees through culture
A video feature on Tumaini as a bridge between camp residents, host communities, and artists.
Watch video
Homestay Program
Stay With The Community
When official festival travel information is live, the Dzaleka Homestay Program offers visitors a community-based accommodation option that supports refugee families directly.
Contribute
Share Your Experience
Help us celebrate the festival by sharing your photos and stories from past editions.