The Dary Festival is Chad's national arts and culture festival. Every year end, it brings the country's 23 provinces together in N'Djamena to show their dances, crafts and food, with big concerts. The 7th edition ran from December 20, 2025 to January 4, 2026, on the Place de la Nation, and drew more than 250,000 visitors, according to the tourism ministry.
Watch out
France Diplomatie (the French foreign ministry's travel advice) classes all of Chad as orange or red, so the capital is at the very least advised against unless travel is essential. France Diplomatie advises avoiding markets, places of worship and gatherings, and reports rising crime in N'Djamena. Check your own government's travel advice as well.
Origins and meaning of the Dary Festival
The festival was founded in 2018 under the high patronage of President Idriss Déby Itno, with representatives from every province. A decree of April 30, 2019 made it the National Arts and Culture Festival, named “Dary.” It is organized by the National Office for the Promotion of Tourism, Crafts and the Arts (ONPTA), under the Ministry of Tourism Development, Culture and Crafts.
The idea is to show the country's cultural diversity. Each province comes with its troupes, its artisans and its food. The theme of the 7th edition said it plainly: “Celebrating our plural identity.”
The Dary Festival belongs to no one; it belongs to all of us.
For the minister, the festival is also an economic lever: it creates jobs, supports local crafts and attracts visitors. The 7th edition was held under the high patronage of President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno.
What you see at the festival
Each province has its own stand. According to reports by Tchadinfos and Wikipedia, you will find:
- traditional and folk dances from every region;
- crafts exhibitions, with several hundred exhibitors in 2025-2026;
- the food of the provinces and traditional objects, such as the traditional bed from Batha shown at one edition;
- concerts, including a big New Year's Eve night with fireworks;
- citizenship workshops and cultural dialogues for young people;
- since 2025-2026, a National Livestock Fair.
On December 22, 2025, for example, the province of Batha performed three dances: the goukouma; the adoumaya, associated with the Bilala, Kouka and Medogo; and the nougara, associated with the Arab communities. On the night of December 31, the artists Naza and Keblack performed. According to the ministry's review, 60,000 people attended that night, a record. The Cameroonian rapper KO-C closed the edition.
The edition was not without tension. The province of Tibesti withdrew for a few days after a performance judged contrary to the festival's values, before a solution was found and its stand reopened.
Dates and location
The festival takes place every year at year end, spanning Christmas and New Year. It is traditionally held on the Place de la Nation in N'Djamena. After several editions at the Palais des Arts et de la Culture, now the seat of the Senate, it returned there in 2025.
| Edition | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | December 23, 2023 to January 20, 2024 | N'Djamena |
| 7th | December 20, 2025 to January 4, 2026 | Place de la Nation, N'Djamena |
Until then the festival lasted about a month. The 7th edition was condensed into two weeks, a first, for a denser program. The dates of the 8th edition had not been announced as of mid-October 2026. Those of 2025-2026 were announced by the minister at a press conference in early November 2025.
Our advice
December and January are the most pleasant months in N'Djamena: it hardly rains, and January is the coolest month, around 16 °C (61 °F) at night and 32 °C (90 °F) during the day.
Attending
If your trip to Chad is essential, here is what you need to know. In N'Djamena, France Diplomatie advises against walking in the outlying neighborhoods or going out at night outside the center, and against motorcycle taxis. The festival's big nights, with tens of thousands of people, are exactly the kind of gathering to avoid.
Be very careful with photos. Photographing an official building, or even women in traditional dress, can lead to arrest. Always ask people and troupes for permission before taking pictures.
Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality. Since May 11, 2026, applications go through the official evisa.td platform, at least 7 days before entry. Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory. All the details are on our page on entry requirements for Chad.
For background, see our Chad guide and the calendar of festivals in Chad.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Dary Festival held?
On the Place de la Nation in N'Djamena, its original venue, where it returned in 2025 after several editions at the Palais des Arts et de la Culture.
Is there an entry fee for the Dary Festival?
The official sources we consulted do not give an entry fee. Check with the ministry or the festival's official page before you go.
When is the next edition?
At year end, like the previous ones, but the 2026-2027 dates had not yet been announced as of mid-October 2026. The 7th edition ran from December 20, 2025 to January 4, 2026.
