UWA Launches Mountain Gorilla Festival 2026

The ‘Four-day event in Kisoro District will feature the Virunga Gorilla Marathon, community exhibitions and a conservation conference’

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has officially launched the first Mountain Gorilla Festival, a four-day celebration of gorilla conservation that will take place from 19 to 22 November 2026 in Kisoro District, close to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

The launch was held at Sheraton Hotel Kampala under the theme “Protecting Gorillas, Empowering Communities” and the tagline “Run, Explore, Conserve.”

The festival is designed to bring communities, conservationists and tourism stakeholders together in the heart of gorilla country. Organisers expect around 2,000 people to attend.

The programme includes community exhibitions, a conference and a range of sporting activities, with the Virunga Gorilla Marathon on 21 November as its highlight.

Communities at the centre of conservation

Speaking at the launch, UWA Executive Director Dr. James Musinguzi said that people living around Bwindi and Mgahinga must benefit directly from the gorillas on their doorstep.

He pointed to jobs, tourism businesses, cultural experiences and better infrastructure as the main ways this can happen.

“We want the gorilla to put money in the pockets of the local person,” he said. He added that communities must be partners in conservation as well as beneficiaries of tourism, with real opportunities in guiding, hospitality and enterprise.

Dr. Musinguzi also noted that protecting gorillas means protecting their habitat, handling conflicts between people and wildlife, tackling disease risks and working closely with the people who share the land with them.

Speaking at the launch, UWA Executive Director Dr. James Musinguzi said that people living around Bwindi and Mgahinga must benefit directly from the gorillas on their doorstep.

The festival will give local businesses, cultural groups and tour operators a stage to showcase what they offer. UWA says it wants to improve the quality and presentation of locally made crafts so that they meet the expectations of visitors, and to help producers, especially women, earn more from them.

The authority is already encouraging visitors to buy local products after gorilla trekking, and it has set aside dedicated spaces where tourists can meet vendors.

Dr. Musinguzi also suggested exploring online marketing and booking options so that visitors could order crafts during their trip and have them shipped home, instead of carrying extra luggage.

The Virunga Gorilla Marathon

The marathon, which takes place on 21 November, is meant to show off Kisoro’s scenery and bring more visitors to the area. Participants can run, hike or join other activities, and the event includes a 112-kilometre signature ultra-trail alongside other race options.

Ivan Kahangire, the team leader of the marathon, said the race aims to support economic development, promote tourism, identify new talent and back an annual cause linked to community or environmental needs.

This year’s cause is tree planting, in partnership with Stanbic Bank. He added that the event could bring in international visitors and create business for hotels, restaurants and transport operators, and that trail running could introduce adventure travellers to Uganda’s mountain landscapes.

“This is our wonderful heritage, our pride, the gorilla,” Kahangire said.

UWA Executive Director James Musinguzi said the festival aims to strengthen the link between wildlife conservation, tourism and community livelihoods, arguing that conservation cannot succeed unless communities living alongside protected areas benefit directly.

Ahead of the festival, UWA announced a reduction in the price of gorilla trekking permits for international tourists to USD 600.

Dr. Musinguzi also revealed that Uganda’s latest mountain gorilla census is being finalized, and that the results will be announced once the work is complete. Uganda is home to more than half of the world’s mountain gorillas.

The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is partnering with UWA on the festival. In remarks delivered by senior brand manager Daniel Irunga, UTB Chief Executive Julianna Kaggwa said festivals encourage visitors to stay longer and explore more of the country, while creating opportunities for local enterprises and cultural groups.

She called on tour operators, conservation organizations, cultural institutions and communities to work together to make the event a success.

The festival will rotate across the Kigezi region in the coming years. Kabale is scheduled to host the 2027 edition, followed by Kanungu or Kihihi in a later year.

Through the call to “Run, Explore, Conserve,” UWA and its partners hope to turn interest in mountain gorillas into more domestic tourism, higher community earnings and stronger support for wildlife conservation.

Beyond the gorillas what to combine with your trek

Uganda is a small country with a huge variety of experiences, so a gorilla trek fits easily into a longer journey. Visitors who come for the festival, or for any other time of the year, can build a trip that includes several other highlights.

In the south-west, the best additions are close to the gorillas themselves. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers golden monkey tracking, volcano hikes on Mount Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura, and the Batwa cultural trail, where the forest’s first people share their songs, stories and survival skills.

Near Kisoro, Lake Mutanda is a quiet, scenic place to relax after a muddy trek. Further towards Kabale, Lake Bunyonyi is one of the most peaceful spots in the country, with canoe rides between its islands, bird watching and village visits.

Uganda has often been called the Pearl of Africa, and travellers soon see why. In one country you can meet mountain gorillas, track chimpanzees, watch lions and elephants, cruise the River Nile, climb snow-capped mountains and meet welcoming communities.

Visit Uganda now for a memorable experience of your life time.