The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, in partnership with the Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS) and other creative industry stakeholders, has launched the Uganda One Festival, scheduled to take place from January 8 to 9, 2026.
The festival aims to provide a unified national platform for creatives while strengthening policy implementation around copyright protection, funding access, and monetisation of creative works.
Uganda’s creative sector, spanning music, film, fashion, visual arts, comedy, and digital content creation, is increasingly recognised as a key driver of employment and economic growth, particularly among young people.
According to the Uganda Performing Rights Society, the creative and cultural industries employ hundreds of thousands of youths and contribute more than Shs2 trillion annually to the economy. However, many creatives continue to operate informally, with limited access to markets, financing, and legal protection.
For years, the sector has faced persistent challenges, including weak copyright enforcement, unfair remuneration, and widespread commercial use of creative works without compensation—concerns repeatedly raised by musicians and content creators.
Speaking at the launch, Sylvia Owori, chairperson of the National Organising Committee and Director of Operations at Operation Wealth Creation, said the Uganda One Festival will serve as a unifying platform for creatives across the country.
She revealed that more than Shs30 billion has already been allocated to support the creative industry and urged artists and creative entrepreneurs to organise themselves in order to benefit from the available funding.
Owori added that since the establishment of creative sector SACCOs, some groups have already started receiving financial support.
Representing the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, the ministry’s head of public relations, Joshua Kyalimpa, said funding for the creative sector was provided by the President, underscoring government’s commitment to using creativity as a tool for job creation and poverty reduction.
Meanwhile, Herbert Mugisha of the Uganda Performing Rights Society reminded businesses and individuals who use music for commercial purposes that creative works are protected by law.
Mugisha said organisers of the Uganda One Festival have committed to ensuring that “music pays,” with systems in place to compensate artists whose works will be used during the event.
However, Dennis Nabende, Head of Communication at the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, emphasised that for creatives to fully benefit from their innovations, copyright registration is essential.
He noted that formal registration protects creators from exploitation and enables them to earn sustainably from their work.
The Uganda One Festival is expected to mark a significant step toward formalising, protecting, and commercialising creativity in Uganda.
