Gorée Island hosts SIRA from 23 October to 15 November
Published on 10/18/2026 at 07:44 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The SIRA craft fair will open on Gorée Island (Île de Gorée) on 23 October 2026, bringing a regional and African craft event to the historic site opposite Dakar. Organised by Salons Gorée, SIRA will run until 15 November 2026 and present handicrafts from Senegal and six neighbouring countries.
SIRA opens on Gorée Island on 23 October
SIRA is the short name for Salon de l'Intégration Régionale et Africaine. The organiser says the fair will take place on the island from 23 October to 15 November 2026, with the opening scheduled for 23 October.
The programme brings together exhibitors from Senegal's 14 regions and from Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Mauritania. The crafts on display will be available for purchase, making the fair a visitor-facing cultural market rather than a closed professional gathering. The SIRA programme and dates are published by the event organiser.
Gorée Island's heritage gives the fair its setting
Gorée Island lies off the coast of Senegal opposite Dakar. UNESCO describes the site as an island shaped by successive Portuguese, Dutch, English and French rule, with slave quarters and merchants' houses forming a contrasting architectural landscape.
The island covers 28 hectares and lies 3.5 km from Dakar. Its Castle stands on a rocky plateau covered with fortifications, while the wider site includes streets, squares and historic buildings. The craft fair's regional focus therefore arrives in a place already defined by exchanges between Africa and Europe, linking the October programme to the island's documented history without changing the character of its protected setting. UNESCO added the Island of Gorée to the World Heritage List in 1978, as recorded in its World Heritage description.
Regional crafts meet a UNESCO-listed memory site
The fair is scheduled during the wider Dakar 2026 period, when the Summer Youth Olympic Games are due to take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026. SIRA begins eight days before those Games and continues for two days after their scheduled close, giving the island a separate cultural programme during the same period.
For travellers, the distinction matters: the confirmed event is a craft fair on the island, not a general city festival in Dakar. Its stated subject is the presentation of regional handicrafts, while the UNESCO-listed surroundings provide the historical context for the visit.
Visiting Gorée Island: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- SIRA is scheduled on Gorée Island from 23 October to 15 November 2026, with its opening on 23 October 2026.
- The fair is planned as a public craft event on the island, and the organiser says handicrafts from Senegal and six neighbouring countries will be available for purchase.
- The island lies opposite Dakar, off Senegal's coast, and the UNESCO description places it 3.5 km from the capital.
- The site covers 28 hectares and includes a rocky fortified plateau, historic streets, squares and former slave-trading buildings.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Gorée Island on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Gorée Island
When does SIRA take place at Gorée Island?
SIRA runs from 23 October to 15 November 2026, opening on 23 October 2026.
Where is Gorée Island and how do you get there?
Gorée Island lies off the coast of Senegal opposite Dakar, 3.5 km from the capital according to UNESCO.
What is Gorée Island?
It is a 28-hectare UNESCO World Heritage site whose historic buildings and fortifications document the island's role in the history of the Atlantic slave trade.
