African Night at the Southern Theatre

African Night fills the Southern Theatre on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. The showcase is produced by Ohio State's African student community and rents the downtown hall for the night.

The program celebrates the range of African cultures through performance. Expect traditional and contemporary dance troupes, singers, spoken word and poetry, and a fashion showcase. A flag walk brings representatives of many African nations onto the stage together, one of the evening's signature moments. Alumni, faculty and current students take part, and African student organizations from other Midwestern universities are invited to perform, so the lineup reaches well beyond campus.

African Night is one of the larger cultural events tied to Ohio State each year, and moving it to the 1896 Southern Theatre gives the dancers a proper stage. For families with roots across Africa, and for anyone curious, it is a lively Sunday evening of music and movement.