OUR LEAD STORY
/THE 2025 AFRICAN DESCENT FESTIVAL
The Festival Was Cancelled. We Asked Why
by Jacqui Birchall
(click images to enlarge)
Early on the morning of August 8, 2025, Vancouver Police Department (VPD) officers and Park Rangers blocked access to English Bay to prevent the African Descent Festival (ADF) load-in, which was to precede the 2025 festival taking place on August 9 and 10.
Reporting for The West End Journal (TWEJ), I asked two city employees who were present, Amit Gandha and John Odong, the reason for the blockade. I was informed that the African Descent Festival did not have a permit.
This comment turned out to be not the complete story. The festival organizers had applied for the 2025 permit in September of 2024. The wheels of the city hall apparently move painfully slowly.
Festival executive director Yasin Kiraga and event coordinator King Solomon provided the TWEJ with documentation to support their claims, including a detailed festival management and site and safety plan, which TWEJ included in its inquiry to Park Board.
park rangers blocking load-in access at english bay.
Inquiries regarding the African Descent Festival application reveal that the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation (VPB) received the special event permit application for the 2025 festival on September 19, 2024. In answer to inquiries from the TWEJ, we were informed by email that:
“Staff did not receive the festival management plan you provided; however, the Park Board’s Special Events and Filming office received a standard special event permit application from the festival organizer on September 19, 2024.
“As denoted on the form, an application submission constitutes a request to use park space and does not guarantee event approval. Staff remained in regular contact with the organizer throughout the year. They consistently communicated expectations and requirements for 2025 permit approval, including resolving outstanding obligations from previous events.”
previous african descent festival events broiught african culture to english bay. (AFD Photo)
There has been no indication from the VPB as to why the issue of the management plan, which they claim not to have received, was not raised at subsequent discussions. When it was sent, and why it was not received, remains an open question. If further information is received TWEJ will update this story.
The festival organizers had also been accused of not paying for previous policing costs. Communication provided to the TWEJ by festival organizers and confirmed by the VPD, shows that the ADF organizers agreed to a payment plan that was accepted by the Park Board and that payment had commenced.
Throughout 2025, Kiraga continually contacted the city regarding the festival.
To indicate the lateness of permits for previous years, in 2024, the permit was issued the day before the 2024 festival’s start date. The rental agreement between Park Board Special Events and Filming and the African Descent Festival for the 2024 festival was emailed by the VPB’s Sonny Siddoo at 5:45 pm on August 8, 2024. The TWEJ has a dated copy of the permit.
The festival was to commence hours later on August 9. A conditional approval, without the permit, was sent on July 19, 2024
african descent festival executive director yasin Karaga (ADF Photo)
On July 30, 2025, Steve Jackson, general manager of the VPB, emailed Kigara regarding his requests for information, saying,
“Your concerns regarding the 2025 African Descent Festival have been brought to my attention. I would like to reassure you that the Park Board is in internal discussion with our FEST partners to find a workable solution as soon as possible. We should have an update regarding our position shortly. We appreciate your patience and look forward to the opportunity to work together and discuss these options with you.”
The meeting was held on July 31, 2025, with ADF’s executive director Yasin Kiraga, event coordinator King Solomon Kabagambe, operations manager Adewale Alao, and African Descent Society president Eunice Akoth Ohanya in attendance for the festival and Steve Jackson and Park Board special event operations manager Feewin Yuna in attendance.
On August 1, 2025, one week before the festival’s scheduled opening, Steve Jackson again wrote to the festival organizers, stating, “Following consultation with the VPD, we are unable to issue a permit for your event due to time constraints and the inability to meet the necessary requirements within the available timeframe.”
Jackson further writes that he offered the festival organizers three alternative options “intended to support your event goals while remaining compliant with the Park Board’s special event permit and event guidelines.”
These three alternative options were to relocate to Thornton Park, the possibility of English Bay being available in mid to late September or to cancel entirely and work on the 2026 festival.
the 2025 festival was meant to honour the legacy of joe fortes.
Karaga told the TWEJ that the city had previously advised them that the festival had become too large for Thornton Park, where the event had been held since its founding in 2015, and that due to the construction of the new St Paul’s Hospital, parking was limited, and that once the hospital opened, Thornton Park would not be a suitable space for a music-infused festival. Much of the area is fenced off, and the maximum capacity for Thornton Park is 5,000. The attendance at the 2024 festival on English Bay reached 40,000. The festival relocated to English Bay in 2023.
To show a historic perspective, on January 19, 2023, the office of the general manager of the VPB circulated a document titled “Special Events Calendar 2023-Major Events” to the Park Board’s chair and commissioners .
This document notes that “The African Descent Festival is a recurring event which has taken place since 2015. Due to the construction of the new St. Paul's Hospital, necessary parking and street space surrounding the festival’s traditional location at Thornton Park will be negatively impacted in 2023 and future years, impeding the delivery of the Festival at this location. Accordingly, festival organizers have selected English Bay Beach as the festival site in 2023 due to the location’s strong historical connection and significance to the black community in Vancouver. (The legacy of Joe Fortes.)”
In August 2025, changing the location to a much smaller space at the last minute was not a possible alternative. Site maps had been sent to all participants, and 4,000 posters had been distributed. International musicians had been hired and paid, as had all the technical staff, staging, infrastructure, portable toilets, etc.
a crafts and art vendors were a feature at AFD celebrations. (ADF Photo)
Mid-to-late September brings the promise of earlier sunsets, rain and cooler temperatures. All the contracted participants for the August dates of the festival still had to be paid for the August weekend, requiring payment again for a September festival, with the strong possibility that they may not be available for that future date.
There were many repercussions due to the last-minute cancellation of the festival’s permit.
ADFBC lost a lot of money. The many food vendors had purchased food that they were unable to sell. Scheduled international performers travelled hours for nothing. 40,000 plus participants were disappointed. Contracted workers and the rental of infrastructure had to be paid for.
Hopefully, in the future, the previously successful and popular African Descent Festival will be able to meet all the VPD and City requirements and return to English Bay and City Hall management will move ahead in a more timely manner.
