{"id":56948,"date":"2026-04-22T23:44:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T23:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=56948"},"modified":"2026-04-22T23:44:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T23:44:11","slug":"hifa-bounces-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2026\/04\/22\/hifa-bounces-back\/","title":{"rendered":"HIFA Bounces Back \u2013 Eduzim News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>By Showbiz Reporter-After years of uncertainty and scaled-down editions, the\u00a0Harare International Festival of the Arts\u00a0(HIFA)\u00a0is poised\u00a0for a vibrant return, with this year\u2019s showcase set to light up the capital from April 29 to May 4.<\/p>\n<p>Founded in 1999, HIFA has long been regarded as one of Africa\u2019s premier cultural festivals, earning comparisons to global events such as\u00a0Glastonbury Festival. At its peak, the festival transformed Harare into a dynamic hub of theatre, music, dance, poetry, and visual arts, attracting both local and international performers while providing a rare platform for Zimbabwean creatives to engage global audiences.<\/p>\n<p>The festival\u2019s trajectory, however, has mirrored Zimbabwe\u2019s broader socio-economic challenges.\u00a0Periods of economic instability, funding constraints, and\u00a0later\u00a0the\u00a0disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced HIFA into\u00a0hiatus\u00a0and limited programming.\u00a0Despite these setbacks, its legacy endured as a symbol of artistic resilience and cultural expression.<\/p>\n<p>This year marks a significant revival, with founding artistic director\u00a0Manuel Bagorro\u00a0returning to steer the festival. Bagorro, who stepped back in 2012, resumes leadership following the withdrawal of his successor,\u00a0Gavin Peter, who stepped aside for personal reasons.<\/p>\n<p>Organisers\u00a0say the 2026 edition will run under the theme\u00a0<strong>\u201cSwitch On\u201d<\/strong>\u2014a concept rooted in renewal, creative awakening, and the enduring determination of Zimbabwe\u2019s artistic community. The theme also draws inspiration from\u00a0Doris Lessing\u2019s short story\u00a0<em>The Sun Between Their Feet<\/em>, which tells of two dung beetles persistently pushing their burden uphill\u2014an allegory for resilience against adversity.<\/p>\n<p>As Harare prepares to host the festival once again, HIFA\u2019s return signals more than just entertainment. It represents a reassertion of Zimbabwe\u2019s cultural voice, offering artists and audiences alike a renewed space for dialogue, creativity, and connection in a society still navigating complex challenges.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<span id=\"wordads-inline-marker\" style=\"display: none;\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3 class=\"jp-relatedposts-headline\"><em>Related<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- #comments --><\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#HIFA #Bounces #ZimEye<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Showbiz Reporter-After years of uncertainty and scaled-down editions, the\u00a0Harare International Festival of the Arts\u00a0(HIFA)\u00a0is poised\u00a0for a vibrant return, with&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56949,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,11],"tags":[10565,6694,10564,202],"class_list":["post-56948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi","category-world","tag-bounces","tag-eduzim","tag-hifa","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56948"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56950,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56948\/revisions\/56950"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}