Festivals and cultural events Madagascar

Organized for the first time in 2007, the Vanilla Festival, now called "Festivanille-Satrahagna", celebrated its 10th edition in October 2019. If you stop by, don't hesitate to check the calendar: the party is not to be missed. It should be noted that the festival is linked to the regional crafts fair.

The importance of vanilla in Madagascar is well known, as in 2015 it accounted for some 85% of world production; today, 80% of the country's vanilla exports come from the region. As for Satrahagna, wooden washers cover the pilings of rice granaries, insulating precious foodstuffs high up and out of the reach of rats. In the past, at the time of the first rice harvests, SAVA rice farmers expressed their joy by dancing on the wooden pieces of the satrahagna. The "satrahagna dance" has thus become synonyme of joy and is being revived to celebrate the Vanilla Festival, one of the most popular events in this region.

Every year, the Vez'tival, organised by the Regional Tourist Office of Tulear (ORTU), animates the southwest of Madagascar. Music and dance, carnivals, sports tournaments, rickshaw and pirogue races... for a week, Malagasy art and culture are in the spotlight, with the aim of boosting the region, exchanging ideas and encouraging encounters. This event is one of the major cultural and tourist events of the year in the Tulear region. A colourful festival not to be missed!

The Nosy Be Music Festival (Donia, i. e. "the beautiful life" in Sakalava) takes place at Pentecost and corresponds to the beginning of the cane harvest. In June 2017, he blew his 24 candles. Free shows and sports competitions are also made up of these overcrowded days, bringing together young people from all over the north-west of Madagascar. The atmosphere is assured. Not to miss if you're around the corner. Attention: It is better to book its room in advance.