Culture · 22–23 Aug 2026
Festival Nacional de Timbila
Chopi xylophone orchestras gather in Zavala for a tradition recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
Demo content — Dates change each year — confirm with the organiser.
Timbila is the xylophone music of the Chopi people of Inhambane and Gaza, played by orchestras of up to thirty instruments with dancers performing choreographed sequences. UNESCO inscribed the tradition on its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The annual gathering at Quissico in Zavala district is the best opportunity to hear full orchestras play.