Unguja. Zanzibar is set to host one of the largest communal fast-breaking events in Africa today as thousands gather for a historic mass Iftar at Amani Stadium in an effort that could place the islands among the world’s largest Ramadan gatherings.
Organisers expect about 15,000 people—including national leaders, residents and visitors—to share the evening meal marking the end of the daily fast, turning the event into both a spiritual celebration and a major moment for Zanzibar’s growing Halal tourism ambitions.
The initiative comes as Zanzibar continues to reposition itself beyond the traditional tourism narrative centred on beaches and heritage attractions such as Stone Town. Since 2020, the islands have expanded their tourism strategy to include Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE), sports tourism, wellness tourism and gastronomy as part of a broader plan to diversify the sector and attract higher-value travellers.
Within this transformation, Halal tourism has emerged as a natural pillar of the destination’s strategy, reflecting the fact that more than 95 percent of Zanzibar’s population is Muslim.
Authorities say preparations for the holy month have been structured and policy-driven.
The Zanzibar Commission for Tourism has issued operational guidelines to tourism stakeholders to ensure that tourism activities during Ramadan respect local traditions while maintaining a welcoming environment for visitors.
Under the guidelines, restaurants and food outlets outside hotel premises remain closed during daylight hours and reopen after Iftar.
Food and beverage services inside hotels are limited to in-house guests and must be provided within hotel premises.
Public eating, drinking or smoking during fasting hours is restricted, while modest dress is expected in public spaces. Beachwear is limited to beaches and hotel compounds.
Tourism operators are also required to inform staff and visitors about these regulations and display official notices.
Officials say the framework demonstrates how tourism operations can coexist with local cultural and religious practices.
The mass Iftar at Amani Stadium is expected to highlight Zanzibar’s longstanding tradition of communal hospitality during Ramadan. Across the islands, families commonly open their homes at sunset, welcoming neighbours, passersby and visitors to join the evening meal without prior invitation.
Community groups have increasingly embraced this tradition in recent years. In Stone Town, a group known as the Lebanon Brothers has been organising open Iftar gatherings that draw participants from across Zanzibar, reinforcing the inclusive spirit that defines the holy month.
Today’s gathering also places Zanzibar within a broader African context of large-scale communal Iftar events. In 2019, Egypt hosted a record-breaking Iftar table stretching more than three kilometres, while Ethiopia organised a mass street Iftar in 2021 involving tens of thousands of participants.
Zanzibar’s stadium-based approach offers a different model, one focused on organisation, safety and national unity, with the event already attracting international media attention.
The Ramadan calendar on the islands will continue next week with the International Qur’an Competition scheduled for March 14, which is expected to draw participants from countries including Brazil, the United States, Nigeria and Tunisia.
Beyond its religious significance, the competition is expected to strengthen Zanzibar’s reputation as a centre for Qur’anic recitation and Islamic scholarship while reinforcing its position within the global Halal travel market.
Tourism stakeholders say events such as the mass Iftar and international Qur’an competition illustrate how Zanzibar is integrating faith, culture and tourism as it builds a more diverse and resilient destination brand.
