The AZGO festival is moving out of Maputo city center and will take place in the municipality of Marracuene, in the Cumbeza district, on May 24 and 25. The 11th edition of AZGO, which inaugurates a new cycle in the festival's history, will take place at the newly created Cumbeza Cultural and Multidisciplinary Center.

Ten years on from an intense journey of production, management and consolidation of a brand that makes Mozambique proud, the board of directors has taken on a challenge that will redefine the logic and methods of running the festival over the next few years.

"Holding AZGO in a new space is more than just a change of venue. It's our position on the need to make the brand more independent, with its own structure that guarantees long-term continuity," says Júlia Novela, the director of the AZGO Festival.

The new stage of AZGO is, for the festival's management, an opportunity for the event's loyal audience to live new experiences and discover the unknown. "In this chapter, we are absolutely certain that it will be a story worthy of telling to new and future generations," adds the festival director.

AZGO is also intended to contribute to the democratization of access to culture and the formation of new audiences. "And this is one of the values that still lives in the spirit of AZGO, a festival for all segments of society and which seeks to democratize the right to culture enshrined in the Universal Charter of Human Rights," says Júlia Novela.

Starting with its 11th edition, AZGO aims to become a platform for education and the positive transformation of communities. This intention will be materialized through a series of actions and strategies to be developed by the Cumbeza Cultural and Multidisciplinary Centre.

"Starting with this edition, we intend to redouble our attention to young people and the working class living in the suburbs of Maputo, Marracuene and Matola so that they have access to quality cultural programming," she said.

An edition dedicated to Mother Africa

This year AZGO is moving to a new home, but it's still proud to be an African festival and so the motto will once again be "Afro futurism". And the second day of the 11th AZGO coincides with May 25th, Africa Day. "Our visual identity, signed by the virtuoso visual artist Hugo Mendes, better known as PsiconautaH , celebrates this sense of Africanness, with traits and influences that offer a loyal approach to the origins, bringing proposals and prophecies about the future of the continent," said Júlia Novela.

For the first time, AZGO will have a camping space at the Cumbeza Cultural and Multidisciplinary Center. Called AZGO Camping, the space will provide a more intense experience for festival-goers who will be able to experience all the magic of the festival up close for two days.

A Business Fair will be set up at the venue to create exchanges and generate a market for projects, professionals and companies in the creative sector.