The Festival sur le Niger takes place each February in Segou, drawing musicians, dancers, visual artists, and craftspeople from Mali and across West Africa to the riverbanks of the Niger. Concerts are held on large stages beside the river, with the water and pirogues as a backdrop; smaller performances and workshops fill the town's public spaces. The festival is a genuine showcase of Malian musical culture — griots, kora players, Wassoulou singers, blues-inflected guitar — rather than a sanitised tourist event.
If you are visiting Mali in February, timing your trip to include the Festival sur le Niger is one of the best decisions you can make. The town fills up considerably, so book accommodation well in advance. The festival lasts four to five days and has consistently attracted internationally acclaimed Malian and West African artists alongside emerging performers. Check current programming at the festival website; lineups are typically announced in December.