ADDIS ABABA · Culture
The European Union Film Festival closes on 21 November, and the Great Ethiopian 10K takes over the streets on Sunday 22 November. Here is what we could confirm from 13 to 30 November.
ADDIS ABABA — This guide is for expats, digital nomads and long-stay visitors who live in the city. It lists the things to do in Addis Ababa in November 2026 that we could confirm for the rest of the month, and says where details are missing.
The month is short on confirmed listings, but it has two solid anchors: a free film festival and Ethiopia’s biggest road race. Plan around both, and check venue pages for anything added late.
Through 21 November: Film and a Trade Fair
Friday 24 October to Friday 20 November, closing ceremony Saturday 21 November
European Union Film Festival Addis Ababa 2026
Videobet Cinema, the festival’s screening venue, and the National Theatre (closing ceremony) · Free screenings
The festival shows more than 27 films from 23 European countries, and the screenings at Videobet Cinema are free. The closing ceremony is on Saturday 21 November at the National Theatre; the start time was not confirmed.
The programme is run with the European Union delegation to Ethiopia, which lists the festival on its website.
Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November
Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) Addis
Venue reported inconsistently · Trade fair, entry terms not confirmed
ASFW is a trade fair for textile, apparel and fashion sourcing. It ends this weekend.
Listings disagree on the venue, naming the Addis Ababa Exhibition Centre and the Addis International Convention Center. Confirm the location with the organiser before you travel.
Sunday 22 November: The Great Ethiopian Run
Sunday 22 November
Great Ethiopian 10K International Run
Red Start at Meskel Square, Green Start at the Ghion Hotel (the two starting zones) · ETB 790 or 950 (about US$5 or US$6)
The Great Ethiopian Run is the country’s mass-participation 10-kilometre road race, with 60,000 places announced by organisers (the race website lists 50,000). Registration costs 790 Ethiopian birr (ETB, about US$5) for the Red Start and 950 ETB (about US$6) for the Green Start, and it is done only through Telebirr, the Ethio telecom mobile-money app, according to Capital Ethiopia in August.
We could not confirm the start time, so check the official site before race day.
Prices are converted at the RT rate of 13 November 2026, about 160 Ethiopian birr to the US dollar. We left out several film screenings, a rooftop party and a Pan-African festival that we could not confirm with an organiser, and the event list is shorter as a result.
Planning Your Addis Ababa in November
November is normally dry season in Addis Ababa: sunny and mild by day, cool at night. Carry a light jacket for evening events.
Getting around at night is easiest by ride-hailing app or a trusted local driver. Allow extra time on race day, when roads around Meskel Square will be busy.
Pay in Ethiopian birr where possible and confirm prices before travelling, because the birr rate is volatile. For the run, registration is through the Telebirr app only.
For further listings, check the European Union delegation, the Great Ethiopian Run website and venue pages. Third-party listings should be rechecked against the organiser before you buy tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the biggest events in Addis Ababa in November 2026?
The European Union Film Festival, which closes on 21 November, and the Great Ethiopian 10K International Run on Sunday 22 November are the biggest.
How much does the Great Ethiopian Run cost?
Registration costs 790 Ethiopian birr (ETB, about US$5) for the Red Start at Meskel Square and 950 ETB (about US$6) for the Green Start at the Ghion Hotel. You register only through Telebirr, a mobile-money app.
Are there free events in Addis Ababa this month?
Yes, the European Union Film Festival screenings at Videobet Cinema are free until 20 November.
What is the weather like in Addis Ababa in November?
November is normally dry season: sunny and mild during the day and cool at night, with much less rain than the June-to-September wet season.
Sources: capitalethiopia.com (Great Ethiopian Run), ethiopianrun.org, eeas.europa.eu (EU delegation), capitalethiopia.com (EU Film Festival), fashionunited.com (ASFW), eventseye.com (ASFW). Retrieved 13 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
The Addis Ababa Guide
What The Rio Times publishes for foreigners in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Coming up in Addis Ababa
Understand Ethiopia
More Cities This Month
The same guide for 29 other African cities in November 2026.
- Luanda Angola
- Gaborone Botswana
- Alexandria Egypt
- Cairo Egypt
- Hurghada Egypt
- Accra Ghana
- Abidjan Ivory Coast
- Mombasa Kenya
- Nairobi Kenya
- Port Louis Mauritius
- Casablanca Morocco
- Marrakech Morocco
- Rabat Morocco
- Tangier Morocco
- Maputo Mozambique
- Windhoek Namibia
- Abuja Nigeria
- Lagos Nigeria
- Kigali Rwanda
- Dakar Senegal
- Cape Town South Africa
- Durban South Africa
- Johannesburg South Africa
- Arusha Tanzania
- Dar es Salaam Tanzania
- Zanzibar Tanzania
- Tunis Tunisia
- Kampala Uganda
- Lusaka Zambia
Horn of Africa and the Red Sea
- Horn of Africa 2026: Why It Matters and Who Backs Whom
- Ethiopia’s Neighbors Explained, Ports, Eritrea, Somalia
- Eritrea Explained 2026, a Red Sea Country Guide
- Somalia Explained: Al-Shabaab, Somaliland, the Ports and the Fight Over a 2026 Vote