Ghana’s Highlife Music And Dance Secures UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Recognition

Ghana has secured international recognition for its Highlife music and dance, with the genre successfully inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, described the achievement as one of the country’s proudest accomplishments in 2025.

She made the disclosure on Monday, August 10, 2026, during  a Government Accountability Series engagement at the Jubilee House in Accra, where she accounted for developments and achievements recorded in the tourism, culture and creative arts sector.

According to the Minister, the inscription followed the formal procedures established under the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

How Ghana secured the recognition

The process involved Ghana preparing a detailed nomination dossier documenting the history and significance of Highlife music and dance.

The documentation covered areas including Highlife’s history, performance practices, significance to communities and methods of transmission.

The process also involved the participation and consent of cultural practitioners, highlighting the role of people directly connected to the tradition in efforts to secure its international recognition.

Highlife joins Ghana’s recognised cultural heritage

The UNESCO inscription means Highlife music and dance now have international recognition as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.

The Minister explained that, in simple terms, the recognition establishes Highlife as a heritage that Ghana has given to the world, drawing a comparison with the international cultural significance of Ghana’s Kente.

She said the achievement strengthens Ghana’s cultural identity and provides an opportunity to position Highlife as an important part of the country’s cultural and tourism brand.

Boost for cultural tourism

The Ministry believes the recognition could have significant implications for Ghana’s tourism sector.

According to the Minister, the UNESCO inscription is expected to help boost cultural tourism and Ghana’s global visibility.

Highlife’s international recognition could also help attract visitors interested in experiencing Ghana’s music, culture and heritage while creating opportunities for the country to use its musical tradition as part of destination promotion.

The Ministry further expects the recognition to open international opportunities for Ghanaian musicians and other creatives.

Protecting Highlife for future generations

Beyond tourism and international exposure, the Minister said the inscription provides an opportunity to strengthen efforts to safeguard Highlife for future generations.

The UNESCO recognition is expected to support more structured efforts to preserve the tradition, including maintaining its history, practices and methods of transmission.

This is particularly significant because Highlife has evolved over generations while remaining an important part of Ghana’s musical and cultural identity.

Culture as economic value

The Tourism Minister also linked the achievement to the broader economic potential of Ghana’s cultural sector.

She said the recognition strengthens Ghana’s cultural brand and reinforces culture as a form of soft power with real economic value.

The Ministry’s broader tourism and creative arts agenda seeks to use Ghana’s cultural assets—including music, festivals, heritage, film, fashion and traditional arts—to create jobs, attract visitors, support creative entrepreneurs and contribute to national economic development.

The Highlife inscription therefore represents not only a cultural achievement but also an opportunity to strengthen Ghana’s position internationally as a destination for cultural tourism and creative enterprise.