Sauti za Busara, Swahili for 'sounds of wisdom', returns to Stone Town on Zanzibar from 19 to 21 March 2027. It is one of East Africa's best-loved festivals of African music, bringing artists from across the continent and its diaspora to the island.
The 2027 line-up is out, 24 acts so far: Yugen Blakrok from South Africa, Nawal from Comoros, the Kenyan artists Elsy Wameyo and Christine Kamau, Black Jesus Experience from Australia and, from Zanzibar itself, Siti & the Band and the Rahat Zamaan Taarab Orchestra. Advance tickets are on sale at up to 20% off.
Check the ground before you book a room. After 22 years inside the Old Fort, the festival moved in 2026 to the Mnazi Mmoja Grounds in Stone Town while the fort undergoes major restoration works, and the organiser gives only 'Stone Town' for 2027. March is the start of the rains on Zanzibar, so pack for showers.
