Out & About SA · Southern Mozambique

Southern Mozambique Events & Festivals

What's on across Southern Mozambique — Maputo's Azgo and Marrabenta music festivals and the Mozambique Music Meeting, the STRAB festival at Ponta Malongane, the Chopi timbila tradition of the Gaza coast, the June–October humpback whale season and the whale sharks off Tofo, the Bazaruto sailfish tournaments, and Independence Day on 25 June. Dated events show soonest-first and drop off once they've passed; seasonal and annual events are listed below them. Filter by region and type.

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📅 Where these come from

Event listings move around and dates shift year to year — these are the best live sources to check for the latest:

Azgo Festival ↗STRAB ↗Visit Mozambique ↗Mozambique Music Meeting ↗

Full list

Azgo Festival — Maputo. Maputo's biggest international music festival, staging Mozambican and African acts alongside crafts, film and workshops
Chopi Timbila Festival (M'saho) — Inhambane. Traditional timbila (xylophone) music and dance of the Chopi people, performed around Zavala in Inhambane Province
Festival da Timbila M'Saho — Quissico. Annual festival in Quissico/Zavala celebrating the Chopi timbila marimba music (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage)…
Gwaza Muthini (Marracuene) — Marracuene. Marracuene commemorates the 1895 Battle of Marracuene with ceremonies, marrabenta music and traditional food in early…
Gwaza Muthini Festival — Marracuene. Annual celebration commemorating the 1895 Battle of Marracuene, with traditional food, ceremony and marrabenta music
Humpback Whale-Watching Season — Tofo. Migrating humpback whales pass close to the Inhambane coast, with boat and shore sightings common between June and…
Maputo City Day — Maputo. A municipal public holiday celebrating the capital, observed on 10 November
Marrabenta Festival — Marracuene. An annual celebration of Mozambique's marrabenta music genre with concerts in Marracuene and Maputo, usually in February
Mozambican Heroes' Day — Maputo. A national public holiday honouring Mozambique's heroes, observed on 3 February
Mozambique Independence Day — Maputo. Mozambique's national independence day, marked with parades, concerts and celebrations countrywide including Maputo
Mozambique Music Meeting (MMM) — Maputo. A Maputo music gathering of concerts, showcases and workshops held mainly at the Franco-Mozambican Cultural Centre
MozBeat Fest — Praia do Tofo. New Year music festival hosted at Mozambeat Motel in Tofo
New Year on the Beaches — Bilene. Coastal towns fill with holidaymakers for New Year beach parties and fireworks, especially popular at Bilene
New Year's Eve beach party — Ponta do Ouro. Ponta's busiest night, with beach-bar parties over the festive season
Ponta do Ouro Autumn Festival — Ponta do Ouro. Annual beach music and lifestyle festival
Ponta do Ouro Spring Festival — Ponta do Ouro. Annual spring beach festival
Procissao de Nossa Senhora de Fatima — Namaacha. Annual Marian pilgrimage and procession at the sanctuary
Sea turtle nesting season — Xai-Xai. Loggerhead and leatherback turtles nest on Xai-Xai's beaches; hatchlings emerge toward the end of the season
STRAB – Subterranean Rhythm & Blues Festival — Ponta do Ouro. An intimate rock and blues festival held on the beach at Ponta Malongane near the South African border
Tofo Ocean Fest — Inhambane. Community ocean-themed festival held at Tofo near Inhambane
Turtle nesting season — Ponta Malongane. Loggerhead and leatherback turtles nest along this stretch of coast each summer
Vilankulos Sailfish Competition — Vilanculos. A winter big-game fishing competition targeting sailfish out of Vilanculos and the Bazaruto Archipelago
Whale Shark Season — Tofo. Whale sharks feed year-round off Tofo, with peak sightings and snorkelling encounters around October to March