Organisers of this year’s Likoma Island Festival have announced that the event has been rescheduled to 6–10 November due to logistical challenges and increased costs associated with chartering a ship.
Initially, the festival was scheduled to take place from 15 to 17 October 2026.
In a statement, the organising committee explained that the decision followed a shortfall in passenger numbers required to justify the vessel’s deployment, alongside revised operational costs that rendered the charter financially unfeasible.
The festival will now align with the schedule of the MV Ilala, which is expected to depart Monkey Bay on Friday, 6 November, with the return journey set for Tuesday, 10 November.
“The change also affects travellers from the northern region who had planned to board the vessel at Nkhata Bay. They will now be required to board at Nkhotakota,” reads part of the statement.
The festival will feature performances by the Black Missionaries Band and other entertainers.
By Emmanuel Chikonso
