Festival des Masques et des Arts

Known as FESTIMA, this biennial festival takes place in Dedougou, Burkina Faso, and has run since 1996. It brings together traditional mask societies from Burkina Faso and neighboring West African countries such as Mali, Ivory Coast and Benin, combining ritual mask dances with drumming and percussion music. The event was founded to help preserve endangered mask traditions and draws large crowds to watch performers in elaborate costumes dance through the streets and public squares.