Festival celebrating dance forms from Africa and its diaspora, with homegrown and international dance companies.
Afro Dance Xplosion returns to the Midlands Arts Centre on Tuesday 20 October, with this year's edition titled Transcen-dance. It's a showcase of dance from Africa and its diaspora, bringing together companies from across the continent and the UK on one stage. The title Transcen-dance points to the festival's aim to move across geographical, generational and artistic boundaries, and the 2026 programme pairs internationally recognised companies with artists based closer to home.
On the bill are Kobe Na Awati, directed by Aissata Kouyate, and BOP Jazz Theatre Company, alongside BlakeArts and Antonio Bukhar and ACE Dance and Music Company. There's also a short film, Ndono, from Bakalama in Senegal. The mix of live dance and film lets the evening reach beyond the stage, bringing in work from Senegal alongside companies based in the UK. ACE Dance and Music Company is a local name, and their presence fits the festival's focus on pairing international acts with artists from closer to home.
Birmingham is a natural home for a festival like this, given the city's long relationship with African and Caribbean dance and the work of local companies like ACE. The event falls during Black History Month, and the programme reflects that context, bringing together dance forms from Africa and its diaspora to show the range, energy and creativity of African dance. It's a single evening that pulls from several different traditions, with the live performances and the film sharing the same bill.
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It starts at 7:30pm and runs for about three hours, so it's a full night of dance. Standard tickets are £22 and concessions are £18; companion tickets are free, reduced to £0 at checkout once you've set up and logged into an account. It's open to ages 7 and up, so it's one you can bring the family along to.
