SLACfest - Saturday Programme, Part 1

The Sierra Leone Arts & Culture Festival (#SLACfest) returns to South London for its 2025 edition, taking place across the weekend of 31st October - 2nd November, with four separate ticketed events.

Expect a joyful celebration of Sierra Leonean art, culture, history, and heritage, featuring music, poetry, panel talks, comedy, food, exhibitions, vendors, and activities for the whole family, curated by The Young Sierra Leonean CIC.

#SLACfest2025 is proudly part of Theatre Peckham's Young, Gifted, and Black Programme.

THIS EVENT: Saturday Programme, Part 1 - Saturday 1st November - 12pm-3:30pm

This year’s festival theme is ‘Roots & Renaissance’, celebrating our rich cultural heritage, as well as the exciting possibilities for the future as young Sierra Leoneans.

Expect a jam-packed day of intergenerational connection and community, with plenty of performances, panels, workshops, and space to connect throughout the day. 

Saturday Part 1 (The Roots): 
We will begin our day with a Community Circle centred on the question of raising young Sierra Leoneans - our seeds. Join us as we explore the challenges, lessons, and our hopes as a diasporic community in Britain. How do we hold on to our cultures and traditions whilst evolving with the times? How do we lean into the hybridity of a British-Sierra Leonean identity?

All are welcome, especially families.

Our main programme will commence from midday with all your SLACfest favourites, including ‘A Brief History of Sierra Leone’, ‘A Sabi Pas Yu’ interactive quiz testing your knowledge of the land that we love; and of course poetry, music, comedy and film. Also expect a programme of workshops in Studio 2, including Krio Klas, Movement, and more to be announced.

We will close Part 1 with a panel on the theme of ‘Roots’ with a diverse range of speakers, exploring how we preserve our histories and legacies, and honour our rich creative inheritance.

Part 1 (The Roots) will be followed by a 1-hour lunch break where you can enjoy delicious Sierra Leonean cuisine and explore our ‘Small Markit’, full of vendors selling Sierra Leonean and African Diaspora-inspired wares. You will also be able to enjoy our exhibition, featuring photography by talented Sierra Leonean artists from London to Freetown and beyond. 

If you intend to experience #SLACfest with a family that includes children 12 and under, The Roots is recommended for you.

Follow @Young_Salone on Instagram for more announcements.

Please note, your ticket guarantees you entry to the main programme from midday onwards. The Community Circle, taking place from 11am, will be open to ticket holders of the main event and will be accessed on the day on a first-come, first-served basis.

OTHER EVENTS in #SLACfest:

Friday - Opening Event - Friday 31st October - 6pm-9pm

Saturday Programme, Part 2 - Saturday 1st November - 3:30pm-7:30pm

Sunday - Closing Programme - Sunday 2nd November - 12pm-4pm

You can purchase tickets to one, multiple or all of these events!

To access the discounted full weekend ticket price of £50, please add a Standard Ticket to each of the four ticketed events to your basket and your total will automatically adjust to £50 at checkout.

Running Time: 3.5 Hours   

Age Recommendation:    Suitable for all 

Content Information: N/A

Instagram- @Young_Salone

Image Credit: Mohamed Kamara of Meddie Photography