Bole Festival, a Port Harcourt-based food and cultural event built around the city’s popular roasted plantain and fish dish, has marked its 10th anniversary with a three-day programme combining music, food and entertainment.

The 2026 edition, held from September 4 to 6 under the theme “Power of X”, brought together musicians, food vendors, sponsors, volunteers and festival-goers as the event marked a decade since its first edition.

Organisers said in a statement on Wednesday that the anniversary programme reflected that evolution, with different musical formats spread across the three days. The opening day featured reggae and old-school music, while the second day focused on soul and contemporary sounds.

Terry G and a reggae band performed on the opening day, while Savy Henry, Johnny Drille and Magixx featured on the second day.

The festival’s final day brought a larger line-up, with performances from Timaya, Duncan Mighty, Faze, Peruzzi, 1Da Banton, Beri Tigga, Dan Dizzy, Mavo, Guchi, EF Moon and Carter Efe.
Wizard Chan added a traditional element to the closing programme with a performance featuring his signature masquerade.

For organisers, the 10-year milestone was also a reflection of the network of partnerships and community support that has sustained the event.

“The Power of X is not only about marking 10 years, but celebrating the collaborations and community that have sustained the festival and looking forward to the next decade,” the organisers noted.

The festival began in 2016 with about 300 people gathered around a bole seller and a fire. It has since developed into an annual event centred on bole, a popular Rivers State street food typically made from roasted plantain served with fish and sauce, while expanding into music and broader cultural programming.

The festival’s growth has not been uninterrupted. Bole Festival was suspended in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic before returning the following year. Organisers said the 2021 edition attracted an audience twice the size recorded in 2019.

The expansion of the festival mirrors the broader role of food and entertainment events in Nigeria’s urban economy, where festivals increasingly combine local cuisine with live music and cultural experiences to attract both residents and visitors.

For Bole Festival, the food remains the organising idea. What began as a gathering around a local dish has evolved into a platform connecting food vendors, entertainers, sponsors and consumers, while providing a commercial setting for businesses associated with the event.

Sponsors of the 2026 anniversary edition included International Breweries, Moniepoint, Pernod Ricard, Red Bull and Trashcoin, among others.

As it enters its second decade, the organisers said the festival plans to broaden its reach beyond its established Port Harcourt audience and attract visitors from across Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
They also said the next phase would introduce what they described as “a new experience” to the region, as the festival seeks to build on its decade-long combination of food, music and culture.