Hundred Years of Highlife: Ghana Tourism Authority Launches Centenary Celebrations to Boost Cultural Tourism and Global Heritage Status

Published on December 12, 2025

Music is more than just entertainment; it is the archive of a nation’s soul. In Ghana, that soul beats in the syncopated rhythms of Highlife. This genre, which emerged along the coastal cities in the 1920s, blending indigenous African rhythms with Western brass bands and jazz melodies, is celebrating a remarkable milestone: 100 years of influence.

In recognition of this enduring cultural legacy, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) is gearing up for the official launch of the Highlife Centenary Celebrations on December 19, 2025, at the La Palm Royal Beach Resort in Accra. This is not just a party; it is a strategic national initiative designed to honor Ghana’s cultural heritage, educate a new generation, and, most importantly, fuel the country’s booming cultural tourism sector.

A Century of Sound: The Significance of Highlife

Highlife is arguably Ghana’s most significant cultural gift to the world, having profoundly shaped West African popular music, including genres like Afrobeat.

• Roots and Evolution: The genre’s roots lie in the working-class communities of the 1920s, a fusion of local rhythms (like palm-wine music) and instruments brought by colonial traders and military brass bands. It was called “Highlife” by those who stood outside the colonial dance halls, admiring the music played inside—music that was literally for those “living the high life.”
• National Identity: Over the decades, artists like the legendary E.T. Mensah (the “King of Highlife”) used the music to articulate national aspirations, social issues, and everyday life, cementing Highlife’s role as the “heartbeat of Ghana’s cultural identity.”
• Global Recognition: The genre recently received a major international endorsement when UNESCO officially inscribed Highlife music and dance on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024. This global recognition elevates Highlife from a national treasure to a protected global asset.

The Year-Long Celebration: A Tourism Masterstroke

The centenary celebration is set to run for nearly a year, from November 2025 to September 2026, providing a massive, sustained draw for international visitors. The program is multi-faceted, aligning with the GTA’s broader vision to promote Ghana as a premier destination for cultural tourism, notably under the “Black Star Experience” initiative.

• Academic Depth and Preservation: The celebration is heavily supported by institutions like the University of Ghana and the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC). The year will feature academic conferences, exhibitions, and documentation projects aimed at preserving the genre’s history and educating students and scholars. This ensures the celebrations have lasting educational value beyond the concerts.
• Explosive Performances and Showcases: The core of the celebration will be a series of performances and concerts featuring both veteran Highlife legends (like Pat Thomas and Samuel Owusu) and contemporary artists who draw heavily from the Highlife tradition (such as Fameye and musicians across the Afrobeats/Hiplife spectrum). This blending of generations showcases the genre’s living relevance.
• Alignment with “December in GH”: The official launch date in December intentionally aligns with the immensely successful “December in GH” initiative, which positions Ghana as the ultimate destination for the diaspora during the festive season. The centenary adds a powerful new cultural pillar to this month-long festival, attracting music enthusiasts, members of the diaspora, and cultural tourists from across the globe.

Economic and Cultural Dividends

This large-scale, coordinated celebration promises substantial returns for the Ghanaian economy and its people:

• Increased Tourism Revenue: By creating a major, year-long event centered on an internationally recognized cultural asset (now UNESCO-certified), Ghana provides a compelling reason for tourists, particularly the African diaspora and music lovers, to choose Ghana. This generates revenue for hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and local artisans.
• Empowering the Creative Sector: The events will directly support Ghana’s musicians, producers, and creative entrepreneurs, providing performance fees, intellectual property protection, and global exposure.
• Inspiring the Next Generation: By placing Highlife center stage, the celebrations inspire young Ghanaian musicians to explore their musical roots, ensuring the genre’s continued evolution and relevance in contemporary sounds like Hiplife and Afrobeat.

The Ghana Tourism Authority’s launch of the Highlife Centenary Celebrations is a powerful demonstration of how a nation can strategically utilize its intangible cultural heritage to drive economic development and assert its unique identity on the world stage. It is an open invitation to the world to come and experience the authentic, infectious heartbeat of Ghana.