Key stakeholders from government, the creative industry, private sector, and media convened yesterday in Kampala for the official press launch of the Uganda One Festival, a landmark national cultural event scheduled for 8th–9th January 2026 at Kololo Independence Grounds.
Led by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, in partnership with Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS), SBL Media, and other creative sector actors, the press launch reaffirmed Government’s commitment to positioning the creative economy as a driver of jobs, national identity, and inclusive economic transformation.
The Uganda One Festival is envisioned as a unifying national platform celebrating Uganda’s past, present, and future through culture, music, dance, innovation, and storytelling. The two-day festival will showcase all nine domains of Uganda’s creative economy, including music, performing arts, film and video, fashion, books and publishing, visual arts and crafts, software and innovation, cultural heritage, and support services.
Speaking at the launch, the Chairperson of the National Organising Committee and Director of Operations at Operation Wealth Creation emphasized that the Festival goes beyond entertainment, describing it as an economic engine designed to organize, monetize, and protect creative work while expanding the sector’s contribution to national GDP.
Representing Hon. Betty Amongi, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, the Ministry’s leadership highlighted ongoing policy and institutional reforms, including the National Creative Industry Policy, nationwide copyright awareness campaigns, and improved access to financing through Creative Industry SACCOs. These efforts, speakers noted, demonstrate Government’s intention to mainstream creativity into national development frameworks.
The press launch also featured strong messages on intellectual property protection, with UPRS and URSB engaging creatives on the importance of copyright registration and licensing as foundations for sustainable creative careers in the digital economy.
Cultural performances from Northern Uganda, alongside contemporary musical acts, set the tone for the Festival’s commitment to regional inclusion, cultural diversity, and intergenerational exchange.
The Uganda One Festival is expected to attract thousands of creatives, entrepreneurs, investors, and audiences from across the country and the diaspora, and is positioned to become an annual national cultural event
