The Festival of Drums and Cultural Expressions of Palenque is a celebration of the culture and history of the fiercely proud people of San Basilio de Palenque and a worldwide diaspora of Afro-Americans.
Established in 1985, this rich cultural event has been organized for 15 years by a group of youngsters and grassroots organizations from the community of San Basilio de Palenque.
The town, an hour and a half drive from Cartagena, holds an important place in Colombian history as the first free African town in the Americas.
Declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2025, it has been a symbol of Afro-Colombian resistance since it was established at the beginning of the 17th century by a small group of slaves that escaped captivity in 1619.
The festival celebrates the town’s rich musical and cultural heritage with four days of drumming, bullerenge, mapale and cumbia music.
Get yourself into the groove at This Is Colombia’s Cumbia-rich Spotify playlist.
All activities of this event are completely free. The Corporation Festival of Drums and Cultural Expressions of Palenque opens this space for educational purposes and cultural dissemination, no entry fee is charged for any activity. If you need help organizing transportation to the event reach out to one of our talented team of travel advisors.
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