After six years, the ‘Kigali Fashion Week’ event is set to return in a new format

It is a new era—an era of artistry, business, and a generation of youth stepping into an industry that is beginning to take on an international identity.

This event was last held in 2019 when the 10th anniversary of the renowned regional fashion showcase was celebrated.

After that, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted sports and entertainment activities, causing Kigali Fashion Week to pause.

In 2023, the name was changed to Kigali International Fashion Week, and organizers began focusing on events held outside Rwanda.

Currently, Kigali Fashion Week will be organized by LG Events Rwanda, following an agreement signed on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.

John Bunyeshuri, the founder and leader of Kigali Fashion Week for the past 14 years, chose to hand over this legacy to people with a new vision. He confirmed it is a seven-year partnership that will not overlook the history and identity the event has built.

He told the media: “I believe the event will maintain its originality and charm, but also evolve with the times. This show has the power to bring young people into the fashion industry and help it cross borders.”

At the signing ceremony held in Kigali, George Lugoloobi, head of arts at LG Events Rwanda, presented the new direction. He announced that the 2026 edition of Kigali Fashion Week will be themed “A New Dawn – Where Culture Meets Beauty.”

He assured that the new look will build on past achievements while rooting itself in future opportunities: technology, tourism, business, and a platform connecting investors with fashion designers from the region and beyond.

He said: “Positioning Kigali as Africa’s fashion capital is the foundation of our vision. We want to give young people, artists, and investors a broad platform. Kigali Fashion Week will be a marketplace for African creativity and craftsmanship on a global stage.”

The Kigali Fashion Week event is scheduled for May 2026 at Zaria Court, with two days of runway shows, but the entire week will be full of major activities focused on:

Creating an innovation hub for fashion

Exhibitions featuring trending clothing, Made in Rwanda products, and
training on how fashion industries can become engines of economic growth

This will be a meeting point for people with ideas and those eager to create opportunities. Investors, designers, business owners, and tourism stakeholders will discuss the future of Africa’s fashion industry.

It will be a new space connecting designers, sponsors, journalists, and buyers in an open, collaborative atmosphere—designed as the heart of commerce and new projects within the fashion sector.

Rwandan designers will be joined by others from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Congo, and more. This creates a wide platform uniting Africa to showcase its originality and beauty.

John Bunyeshuri did not sell Kigali Fashion Week. Instead, he entered a seven-year partnership with the team that will continue operating under his name.

By passing on this legacy, he says his wish is for Kigali Fashion Week to continue shining.

James, who will now organize the Kigali Fashion Show within this broader organization, says he will build on John’s 14 years of experience, but called for support from all fashion enthusiasts.

He said: “With your support, as we build a shared vision, that is how we can ensure Kigali Fashion Week keeps moving forward. We can build a new foundation that will carry it into the future.”

The return of Kigali Fashion Week in 2026 is not just an event. It is a symbol of the rebirth of Rwanda’s fashion industry. It is a celebration of culture, creativity, and commerce—forces that can shape the future of the fashion sector.

Rwanda’s fashion industry is entering a period of transformation: young people are experimenting, designers in the region are gaining visibility, and investors are beginning to recognize the opportunities in the creative industry.