Somali Week 2025 Recap: Honoring Culture and Unity
Somali Week 2025 concluded in a spirited celebration organized across the Twin Cities under the theme Midnimo, which means “unity.” The four-block street festival on Lake Street in Minneapolis drew large crowds on June 28. Featured attractions included live music, dance performances, cultural vendors, camel and pony rides, henna and face-painting booths, and a diverse food scene. The festival brought together families, community leaders, and civic officials to mark Somali Independence Day and foster intergenerational connection.
The event included a multiday international soccer tournament running through July 2, with teams from the U.S., Canada, Somalia, Sweden, the U.K., and Australia. A town hall discussion brought Somali leaders from Minnesota and abroad to the stage, creating a space for civic and cultural dialogue. That evening, a “Star of Unity” concert at the Ordway Concert Hall featured performers such as Suldaan Seeraar alongside local Somali musicians.
Mayoral and city support was highly visible. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey read a proclamation onstage designating July 1 as Somali Culture Day, and he joined community celebrations, even speaking in Somali. Council Member Jamal Osman, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt, and Somali presidential candidate Abdi Hoosow also appeared, emphasizing civic recognition and inclusion.
Participation extended well beyond Minneapolis: parallel events took place in Plymouth, Rochester, Owatonna, and St. Cloud. This expansion reflected organizing leadership's goal to broaden engagement beyond the Twin Cities and involve both Somali and non-Somali participants in the cultural exchange.
Organizers described Somali Week as the largest festival of its kind outside Somalia, and the turnout affirmed it. Last year’s event alone drew an estimated 45,000 attendees. This year’s Midnimo theme underscored a deliberate emphasis on unity—reinforcing Somali-American cultural solidarity while inviting broader Minnesota communities to engage.
