Uganda’s creative and cultural heartbeat took center stage yesterday as the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, in partnership with the Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS), SBL Media, and a broad coalition of creative stakeholders, officially launched the Uganda One Festival at Kololo Airstrip.
The high-profile press launch unveiled the festival’s official roadmap detailing programming, creative pavilions, cultural showcases, and strategic institutional partnerships, while signaling a renewed national commitment to positioning the creative sector as a key driver of economic growth.
Crucially, the launch also reinvigorated the nationwide Copyright Awareness Campaign, a critical step toward the long-anticipated operationalization of Uganda’s new copyright law, which is expected to be passed by Parliament in the near future.
Speaking at the launch, Sylvia Owori, Chairperson of the National Organizing Committee and Director of Operations at Operation Wealth Creation, emphasized that Uganda One Festival is far more than a cultural celebration.
“This festival is not just a celebration of talent. It’s an economic engine. We are unlocking the full potential of Uganda’s creative economy, and the press launch is our rallying call to the nation’s artists, creators, and partners. It’s time to organize, monetize, and protect what we create,” Owori said.
Slated for 8th and 9th January 2026, the Uganda One Festival is a pioneering two-day national event expected to draw thousands of creatives, performers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and cultural leaders from across the country. The festival aims to showcase the full spectrum of Uganda’s creative and cultural wealth under one unifying platform.
Reaffirming government support, Hon Betty Amongi, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, underscored the sector’s growing importance to national development.
“The creative industry is no longer peripheral. It’s central to Uganda’s job creation and identity. This is why it is captured in all government policy frameworks, including NDP V, the NRM Manifesto, and the Ten-Fold Growth Strategy,” Amongi noted.
“Through Uganda One Fest and the National Copyright Awareness Campaign, we are institutionalizing the creative economy as a national priority. The President’s vision is clear: creatives must be protected, financed, and celebrated.”
Echoing this sentiment, Herbert Mugisha, CEO of UPRS, described the copyright campaign as a defining moment for the sector.
“The awareness campaign we are launching today is part of a long journey toward a fair, inclusive, and rights-based creative sector. Copyright is the currency of the digital age—and Uganda must catch up. We call on all stakeholders to rally behind this vision,” Mugisha said.
The festival will span nine creative domains, including Music; Film and Video; Performing Arts; Books and Publishing; Visual Arts; Culture and Heritage; Digital Media; Innovation and Software; and Creative Support Services.
Audiences can expect over 200 performances, nine creative pavilions showcasing business, talent, and heritage, alongside workshops, exhibitions, parades, fireworks, and live concerts. H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is expected to grace the festival as Guest of Honour.
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