Launch of Somali Week Festival 2025

Join us for an evening of vibrant conversation and thought-provoking discussion at the launch event of the Somali Week Festival.

This year’s festival theme is ‘Resonate! Sounds of the Past, Voices of the Future’ and the opening event invites reflection on the enduring and transformative power of sounds and culture. We bring together leading artists and thinkers from across the Somali diaspora to explore how traditions of music, poetry, and oral storytelling continue to shape and inspire the future of artistic production in the present.

The evening features Warda Mohamed, a British-Somali filmmaker celebrated for her award-winning short film Muna, which has brought a fresh perspective to stories of diaspora and belonging. Also participating is Abdirahman Nasri, a dynamic singer and composer whose work bridges Somali musical heritage with new, global influences. Also on the panel is Dr Christina Woolner, Artistic Director of Kayd and a social anthropologist whose research and award-winning book have illuminated the socio-political power of Somali music and poetry in Somaliland and the diaspora. Aar Maanta (Hassan-Nour Sayid) is a Somali-British singer-songwriter known for blending rock, reggae, and Western genres with traditional Somali and Arabic music. A former science graduate, he launched the Horn 2 Groove project and released his debut album Hiddo & Dhaqan in 2009, introducing a unique Afro-hop sound. Recognized by StarAfrica as 'a Somali Culture Shaper in London', Aar Maanta is also a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

This year’s festival launch is designed not merely as a conversation but as a living archive of Somali artistry, where performance and critical reflection intersect.

The host of the event is Hashi Mohamed, a barrister, broadcaster, and author of People Like Us, a book on social mobility in modern Britain. His practice covers planning and environmental law, with a focus on housing, infrastructure, and enforcement. A confident and articulate advocate, he represents individuals, companies, and public bodies in both private and public law matters.

The evening will start at 18.00 with a drinks reception.

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