The continent’s largest performing arts market has returned to Abidjan, with the 2026 edition of MASA taking over the Culture Palace and drawing large, enthusiastic crowds.
This year’s programme features hundreds of performances spanning storytelling, contemporary dance, music, and street art, offering something for audiences of all ages.
One standout production generating major buzz is “On descend à la Rue Princesse,” by Ivorian choreographer Massidi Adiatou. The piece pays vibrant tribute to Rue Princesse, once a legendary center of Abidjan’s nightlife and urban culture that disappeared in 2012. It also holds personal significance for Adiatou, who began her journey there as a street dancer in the working-class district of Yopougon.
“There’s something about that street that allowed Ivorian culture to reach the world,” she said. “It created incredible moments, and I don’t want that spirit to disappear.”
The performance features around 20 dancers who captivate audiences for 90 minutes with high-energy choreography and flamboyant, carnival-inspired costumes.
Among them is Kouassi Koffi, better known as Junior Frisson, who plays the charismatic, irresistible seducer emblematic of Rue Princesse’s lively past.
“Rue Princesse is all about enjoyment and entertainment,” he explained. “In this show, we revisit it with a futuristic angle—imagining what it might look like in 2030.”
Within a bar-like set designed by Adiatou and her company New Black, the atmosphere crackles with energy. With vivid lighting, glamorous performers, and a festive ambiance, the spirit of Rue Princesse is revived in a bold, reimagined form.
Acrobats dazzle with feats of skill set to a hypnotic, almost trance-like soundtrack. Performer Karel Tendjou, playing a captivating waitress, proudly celebrates the legacy of coupé-décalé.
“It’s pure coupé-décalé,” she said. “It’s a dance of joy—we share our energy, we share our happiness.”
Audiences have responded with enthusiasm. “Words aren’t enough,” said spectator Bayange Prince. “They’ve blended classical music with coupé-décalé in a way I’ve never seen before.”
MASA events are being held at the Culture Palace and across several districts of Abidjan through the weekend, with the next edition of the festival scheduled for 2028.
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