Samini launches ‘Samini Xperience 2026’, a week-long festival spotlighting Dansoman

Reggae and dancehall star Samini has launched the 2026 edition of Samini Xperience, expanding the event into a week-long festival celebrating Dansoman through music, culture, community service and local enterprise.

Scheduled for December 18 to 24, the festival will culminate in a Christmas Eve concert at Carl Reindorf Stadium in Dansoman. The programme also includes a community clean-up, health walk, food bazaar, basketball tournament, talent showcase, fashion event and street carnival.

The initiative is being organised in collaboration with the Dansoman Municipal Assembly, bringing together Samini’s entertainment platform and the Assembly’s plans to promote community participation, local culture and economic activity.

The programme was unveiled at a media launch at Kegali Hotel in Dansoman on Friday, October 16, where Samini described the festival as a homecoming that recognises the community that helped shape his early life and career.

Unlike Saminifest, his concert series designed to take performances to different parts of the country, Samini Xperience focuses on one community, combining entertainment with activities intended to benefit residents and local businesses.

Representatives of the Dansoman Municipal Assembly said the Assembly had previously considered organising an annual street festival for the area, making the partnership an opportunity to advance those plans while showcasing Dansoman’s culture and supporting local commerce during the December festive season.

Samini also highlighted the festival’s potential to create opportunities for emerging performers and young creatives, calling on corporate organisations to support the initiative.

Seven days of activities

The festival’s programme spans community service, health and wellness, food, sports, fashion and live entertainment, with activities scheduled throughout the week.

December 18: Community service and social impact – The festival opens with a neighbourhood clean-up exercise aimed at encouraging residents to take collective responsibility for their surroundings ahead of the festive season. Other planned activities include school painting and donations, infrastructure improvements at Trinity School, basketball court refurbishment, and donations of medical supplies to Dansoman Polyclinic. The programme also includes tree planting, educational mentorship for young creatives and a documentary series exploring Dansoman’s history and cultural identity.

December 19: Health walk and wellness – A community health walk and screening activities will encourage residents to prioritise physical activity and preventive health care. The programme is expected to include accessible health checks and support for local health workers.

December 20: Food bazaar and celebrity basketball – The Dansoman Food Bazaar will run from 9am to 3pm at the Dansoman Exhibition Centre, bringing together food vendors, local businesses and home cooks offering traditional Ghanaian and continental dishes. Later in the day, a Celebrity All-Star Basketball Tournament is scheduled from 4pm to 9pm at the SSNIT Flats Basketball Court. The event will bring together public figures, athletes and media personalities for a sporting activity within the wider festival.

December 21: Legacy Day – Legacy Day will focus on community development, with activities highlighting Dansoman’s history and the people and institutions that have contributed to its growth. Educational mentorship initiatives and a documentary exploring the community’s cultural heritage are also part of the programme.

December 22: Talent showcase and street fashion – The festival will turn its attention to emerging creatives with an open-air talent showcase and fashion presentation. The event is expected to provide a platform for up-and-coming musicians, fashion designers, models and stylists to display their work while celebrating contemporary Ghanaian creativity. A vendor market will also run from December 22 to 24, creating opportunities for small businesses, artisans and consumer brands to showcase their products. Planned activities include demonstrations, promotions, giveaways and raffles.

December 23: Dansoman Street Carnival – The penultimate day will feature a street carnival through Dansoman, with a procession expected to include Samini’s motorcycle club, high-performance cars, stunt riders, brass bands and Ankos masquerade groups. Sponsor floats, brand activations and product distributions are also planned as part of the celebration. The carnival is intended to bring the festival into the streets, giving residents and visitors an opportunity to participate in the festivities beyond the main concert venue.

December 24: Samini Xperience Concert – The festival will conclude with the Samini Xperience Concert at Carl Reindorf Stadium. The planned production will feature live-band performances by Samini and other established and emerging Ghanaian artistes, with organisers targeting an attendance of more than 5,000 patrons. The final line-up and further concert details are expected to be announced closer to the event.

Community development beyond music

The 2026 edition places local enterprise and community participation alongside music as central elements of the festival. Through its food bazaar, vendor market, talent showcase and fashion event, the programme is designed to create opportunities for traders, artisans, food businesses and emerging creatives.

Its community initiatives also extend the event beyond entertainment, with planned activities addressing environmental cleanliness, wellness, education, sports and cultural preservation.

For Samini, whose career spans more than two decades, the festival offers an opportunity to reconnect with Dansoman while using his platform to support emerging talent and celebrate the community’s contribution to his journey.

With activities scheduled from December 18 to 24, Samini Xperience 2026 will bring a range of cultural, sporting and community events to Dansoman, leading up to the Christmas Eve concert at Carl Reindorf Stadium.

Rather than centering solely on a single performance, the festival seeks to make the community itself the focus of a week-long celebration.