Crayfish festival exceeds expectations

Crayfish and various other seafood delicacies in abundance, a wide range of activities, spectacular weather and even a shipwreck contributed to yet another memorable Lüderitz Crayfish Festival 2026 experience.  

This year’s festival took place from 28 April to 3 May and was held under the theme ‘Crayfish & Currents: Where Heritage Meets Innovation’, reflecting the evolving identity of the harbour town. 

According to Erastus Angula, the marketing coordinator for the Lüderitz Crayfish Festival, an estimated 11 000 people visited the 19th edition of the festival. “This is a significant increase from the 7000 to 8000 persons that visited the festival in 2025. The 35 accommodation establishments (guest houses and hotels included) were already fully booked in December. We are thankful for community members who offered their homes to accommodate some of those who visited for the festival," Hangual said.

A huge crowd puller was the decision by the Lüderitz Crayfish Festival Trust to maintain the selling price of crayfish to be sold to the public at N$30 each. “This enabled the vendors to gain more from the festival while keeping crayfish accessible. The festival is about ensuring that Namibians from all walks of life understand the potential of crayfish, not only as a source of protein but also as a means of supporting livelihoods,” highlighted Victoria de Klerk, chairperson of the Lüderitz Crayfish Festival Trust management committee.

Most vendors (including 35 seafood vendors) at the festival were also upbeat about earning a profit with the impact of the festival extending to informal traders, street vendors, shops, fuel stations and the hospitality sector. “The event was well attended and is growing every year. I suggest that the organisers start doing things earlier to smooth things up. The event is important for me because I showcase our seafood, my cooking skills and promote healthy food. I will count my blessings once everything is done and dusted," said Asser Mukapuli, a local tour guide and seafood vendor who has been attending the event since its inception. 

Apart from SME vendors, there were also stalls occupied by corporates, state-owned enterprises and government ministries. “I enjoyed the business forum, it was well organised, and I learned a lot. It was my first time attending the festival, and I felt welcome in Lüderitz. The people are wonderful here. The food and entertainment did not disappoint, and I am encouraging people to attend the event," commented Adam Visser, a Dawid Kruiper Ward councillor who attended the festival as a member of a delegation from South Africa. 

All the events, including the crowning of Miss Crayfish Festival 2026, beach parties and sporting activities at Aeroplane Beach, the music bash at Lüderitz Sports Stadium and the spinning fest at the old golf course in close proximity to the lagoon, were well attended and did not disappoint. 

Festival patrons packed the Lüderitz Sports Stadium and were treated to some electrifying performances by Namibian and South African crowd-pullers, which included Gazza and Sam Deep, at the festival’s main music bash on 2 May.

Nicky Entin, a member of the Lüderitz Neighbourhood Watch Group, confirmed that no serious crime incidents were reported for the duration of the festival. “We experienced a huge influx of people. The presence of additional police force members assigned to Lüderitz for the festival helped a lot, and the people behaved.”