Fiesta del Fuego 2026: Cuba at the heart of the Caribbean

Dedicated to the Ethnic and Cultural Diversity of Colombia, as well as to Communication and Digital Sovereignty in the Caribbean, the 45th edition of the Caribbean Festival “Fiesta del Fuego” (Festival of Fire) will take place in Santiago de Cuba from July 4 to 7.

The event is organized by the Casa del Caribe (House of the Caribbean) and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cuba, which also invite participants to the International Colloquium “The Caribbean That Unites Us”: a space for encounter, dialogue and academic, artistic, and community reflection on the challenges and potential of the Caribbean world.

In its 2026 edition, the Colloquium pays tribute to Colombia as guest of honor, recognizing the richness of its ethnic and cultural diversity—Afro-descendant, Indigenous, mestizo, and Raizal—as a living expression of the Caribbean spirit.

At the same time, the event calls for an urgent debate on Caribbean communication ecosystems in the face of the challenges of digitalization, artificial intelligence, disinformation, and the concentration of global platforms.

The Colloquium will take place from July 4 to 7, 2026, at the Marquesina of the Heredia Theater in Santiago de Cuba, in a hybrid format (in-person and virtual).

Aimed at all those interested in the study, promotion, and defense of Caribbean cultures, the event seeks to promote multidisciplinary dialogue in order to strengthen Caribbean cultural identity, promote communication sovereignty, and highlight the leading role of communities as agents of social transformation.

History and culture of the peoples of the Caribbean

In Spanish, English, French and Portuguese, the event will revolve around six fundamental themes.

One of these themes is Daily Life, Traditional Popular Culture, and Creative and Cultural Industries, addressing expressions of popular culture, traditional knowledge, festivals and rituals, orality, intangible heritage, music, dance and performing arts.

The history and culture of the Caribbean peoples will also be discussed: identities, memory, and bearers of tradition; as well as local development, sustainability and heritage management.

Community development models with a cultural focus. Cultural tourism and heritage. Policies for the conservation of tangible and intangible heritage. Climate change and its impact on the cultural territories of the Caribbean.

Three other topics to be explored in depth are community empowerment, social participation, and cultural policies; communication ecosystems, digital convergence, and technological sovereignty in the Caribbean; and the use of artificial intelligence, cultural creation and Caribbean identities.

Event Program

JULY 1

Opening of the Caribbean Festival Press Center. Press meeting with organizers of the Caribbean Festival in Santiago de Cuba and Colombia

JULY 2

Welcome show for participants

JULY 3

Inaugural gala of the Caribbean Festival

Opening of the exhibition by sculptor Alberto Lescay and guest artist

Inauguration of the Casa de Colombia

JULY 4

Opening of the Colloquium “The Caribbean that Unites Us”

Opening of the workshop on popular religions in the Caribbean

Haitian-Cuban festival

Opening of the Meeting of Young Caribbean Creators “New Souls”

Opening of the Visual Arts Exhibition. Central Colombian Showcase

Inauguration of the Casa de Haiti

JULY 5

Welcome from the Provincial Government authorities to the guests

Serpent Parade

JULY 6

Antillean Festival

International Gala of Colombia

JULY 7

A performance honoring slave rebellion

JULY 8

Bartolo’s Banana Plantation Fiesta Campesina

Gran Gaga. A festival of Haitian origin

Yemaya Festival

JULY 9

Presentation and launch of the next edition of the Caribbean Festival

Parade of Fire, dedication of the next Caribbean Festival. Burning of the Devil