UWA stages festival near Mgahinga Gorilla National Park on 19 November

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is linked to the Mountain Gorilla Festival in Kisoro from 19 to 22 November 2026, bringing conservation, community activities and sport to the Ugandan district beside the protected area. The park’s setting connects the programme with the wider Virunga landscape and mountain-gorilla conservation.

Mountain Gorilla Festival runs in Kisoro from 19 November

Uganda Wildlife Authority launched the festival under the theme Protecting Gorillas, Empowering Communities. The programme includes community exhibitions, a conference, cultural activities and sporting events, with the Virunga Gorilla Marathon scheduled for 21 November 2026. New Vision’s festival report places the four-day programme in Kisoro district and identifies the Uganda Wildlife Authority as an organiser.

The festival is not a programme inside the park itself. Its significance for visitors lies in the direct relationship between the Kisoro gathering and the conservation area around Mgahinga, where communities, tourism businesses and protected habitats meet. A separate report confirms that the marathon, exhibitions and conservation discussions are part of the 19 to 22 November programme. UWA festival details also names the Virunga Gorilla Marathon on 21 November 2026.

Three volcanoes give the festival its mountain setting

The protected area is Uganda’s smallest national park, covering 33.7 square kilometres in Kisoro district. It was declared a game sanctuary in 1930 and gazetted as a national park in 1991. Its forests protect mountain gorillas and provide habitat for the endangered golden monkey.

Three conical, extinct volcanoes form the park’s most distinctive physical feature. They are part of the Virunga Range along the border region of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The park rises from 2,227 metres to 4,127 metres, so the festival’s conservation message is connected to a landscape shaped by steep volcanic terrain. Uganda Wildlife Authority’s park profile records the area, altitude, history and wildlife.

Visiting Mgahinga Gorilla National Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Mountain Gorilla Festival runs from 19 to 22 November 2026 in Kisoro, while the Virunga Gorilla Marathon takes place on 21 November 2026.
• The main festival programme is in Kisoro rather than inside the park, so visitors should treat the conservation area and the festival as connected but separate places.
• Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is in southwestern Uganda, with Kisoro as the nearest town. Uganda Wildlife Authority says the park can be reached by road via Kabale or by air to Kisoro, followed by onward transport to the park boundary.
• The terrain is mountainous, ranging from 2,227 metres to 4,127 metres, and includes the slopes of three extinct volcanoes. Walking conditions therefore differ sharply from those at the festival venues in Kisoro.
• 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.

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Frequently asked questions about Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

When does the Mountain Gorilla Festival take place near Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?

The festival runs in Kisoro from 19 to 22 November 2026, with the Virunga Gorilla Marathon on 21 November 2026.

What is Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?

It is a 33.7-square-kilometre national park in Kisoro district, gazetted in 1991 to protect mountain gorillas and other wildlife.

Where is Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and how do you get there?

The park is in southwestern Uganda near Kisoro. Uganda Wildlife Authority lists road access via Kabale and flights to Kisoro, followed by onward transport to the park boundary.