Festivals · August · Greater Accra

Chale Wote

Accra’s streets become a gallery

Chale Wote is a street art festival in Accra, run by the arts collective Accra [dot] Alt since 2011. Usually over about a week in August, it fills the streets of James Town and, more recently, Osu with murals, graffiti, performance, music, film, installations and street boxing. It is free and open to everyone.

August in AccraIt’s free and runs over several days. Come in the afternoon and stay late.

The words Chale Wote painted in orange on a street in Accra
The festival’s name on the streetFquasie · CC BY-SA 4.0
When
Usually August, over about a week
Where
James Town (High Street) and Osu, Accra
Run by
Accra [dot] Alt
Entry
Free
Region
Greater Accra

What Chale Wote is

Chale Wote began in 2011, organised by Accra [dot] Alt. Its name is Ga for “friend, let’s go”, and also the name of the everyday flip-flop.1 The early editions ran along High Street in James Town; since then it has spread to venues and neighbourhoods across the city, and the 2023 edition was in Osu.1

What happens

Expect street painting and murals, photography, theatre, spoken word, installations, live music and performance, film screenings, street boxing and a procession of cultures.1 Each edition has its own theme: in 2025 it ran from 19 to 24 August under the theme “The Orbs Beneath the Nile Lead to Kongo”.2

Good to know if you go

  • Where: check the year’s programme: James Town and Osu are the usual hubs, a short ride apart.
  • When: afternoons and evenings are busiest. It’s hot, so carry water and wear comfortable shoes.
  • Photos: artists and performers usually welcome cameras, but ask before close-ups of people.
  • Also in August: Homowo is celebrated in James Town in the same month.

Questions people ask

What is Chale Wote?

A free street art festival in Accra, held each year since 2011, with murals, performance, music, film and more.

When is the Chale Wote festival?

Usually in August, over about a week. In 2025 it ran from 19 to 24 August.

What does Chale Wote mean?

It is Ga for “friend, let’s go”, and also the name of the everyday flip-flop.

Sources

  1. “Chale Wote Street Art Festival”, Wikipedia.
  2. “Chale Wote 2025: remembering, reclaiming and reimagining Africa through art”, Modern Ghana, August 2025.

Last checked 16 October 2026. Spotted something wrong or know this year’s dates? Tell us.

Also in August

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