Lusaka Showgrounds

The Lusaka Showgrounds are an exhibition ground off Showgrounds Road and the Great East Road in Lusaka, Zambia, best known as the home of the annual Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Show, held each August. The grounds contain exhibition halls, open arenas, pavilions, and stands, and they also house the Henry Tayali Visual Arts Centre, which makes them useful for visitors interested in Zambian art. During the show, the site fills with livestock displays, agricultural and industrial exhibits, company stands, entertainment, food stalls, and crowds of families and farmers, and it becomes one of the largest public gatherings of the year in the capital. Outside show week, the grounds are far quieter and are mostly visited on the way to the gallery or for other events and trade fairs held through the year. Entry is free outside the show, and entry to the show itself is ticketed at gate rates that should be confirmed locally. A visit usually takes about an hour, longer during the show when there is much more to see. The best time for a first-time visitor is show week, when the grounds are at their most lively, although this is also the period of heaviest crowds and traffic on Great East Road. Visitors should allow extra time to reach the site, wear comfortable shoes, and carry water and sun protection, since much of the area is open ground. Taxis from the centre cost about K40 to K70. Photography of exhibits and general scenes is common, but visitors should ask before photographing people or livestock owners. Outside show week, the grounds can be checked on foot in a short visit combined with the gallery.