6 March each year
Across Ghana, with the main parade at Black Star Square in Accra, and in Ghanaian communities abroad.
Watch the parade, learn about the independence story and join community celebrations.
Ghana, our beloved country, is free forever: Kwame Nkrumah, 6 March 1957
Before independence, the territory was the British colony of the Gold Coast. After the Second World War, calls for self-government grew, and Kwame Nkrumah and the Convention People’s Party won elections in 1951. On 6 March 1957, the Gold Coast became independent under the name Ghana, the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from European colonial rule. That night Nkrumah, who became the first Prime Minister, declared that “the African people are capable of managing their own affairs” and that Ghana was “free forever”. The celebrations in 1957 drew guests from around the world, including Martin Luther King Jr.
Independence Day is a public holiday. If 6 March falls on a weekend, the following Monday is a holiday. The best-known event is the parade at Black Star Square in Accra, with marching contingents and a ceremony that includes trooping the colour, a tradition dating from the colonial era. Leaders give speeches, and in some years heads of state from other countries join the celebrations as guests. Celebrations have also been held in other cities, such as Kumasi and Tamale. Many Ghanaians use the day to honour those who led the country to independence, and Ghanaian communities abroad hold their own events. Ghana has many regions, languages and traditions, and the way people mark the day varies.
Mark Ghana’s Independence Day at home:
Coming soon to the App Store.
If you plan to watch the parade in Accra, arrive early and expect security checks and road closures. Bring water and sun protection, as March is hot. Many offices and shops close for the public holiday.
On 6 March 1957 Ghana became independent from British colonial rule, the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to do so.
The Gold Coast, a British colony.
At Black Star Square in Accra.
