Festival of Cooling

A week-long event exploring the growing importance of cooling and cold-chains in a fast-warming world

Featival of Cooling banner graphic

22nd-26th Sept. 2025 - ACES Campus, Rwanda

The Clean Cooling Network and the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) are hosting a 5-day, public engagement “Festival of Cooling” at the ACES Campus in Kigali, Rwanda, and via an outreach programme.

We need cooling and cold-chain solutions that are sustainable, equitable, and resilient. 

Through a week of events, panel discussions, demonstrations, and workshops on campus and online, as well as outreach to schools, communities, government, and businesses, the aim is to engage the public and explore the growing importance of cooling and cold chains in a fast-warming world.

Festival of Cooling Schedule

The festival is spread over 5 full days, from Monday 22nd to Friday 26th, September 2025, with each day focusing on a different cooling and cold-chain theme.

  • Day 1 –  Farmers & agricultural outreach 

    Connecting smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and agri-entrepreneurs to practical post-harvest cooling solutions. Sessions will focus on reducing losses, accessing finance, and adopting technologies that improve food quality and profitability.

  • Day 2 – Health outreach

    Spotlighting the life-saving role of cold-chains in healthcare, enabling safe storage and delivery of vaccines, blood, and antivenoms. Health workers, planners, and logisticians will gain tools, insights, and networks to strengthen health cold-chains.

  • Day 3 – Schools and public awareness

    Engaging the next generation of innovators and decision-makers through hands-on learning, storytelling, and creative experimentation. Students will explore real-world cooling challenges and imagine future careers in sustainable cooling, logistics, and climate action.

  • Day 4 – Innovation, entrepreneurship, and creative hub

    Celebrating creativity, entrepreneurship, and the fusion of art and science. This will provide a launchpad for bold ideas, showcase innovations, and inspire youth-led problem-solving for climate-smart cold-chains.

  • Day 5 – Policy roadmap, closing gala

    Setting the strategic tone, aligning government, finance, academia, and industry partners around a shared policy and investment roadmap for resilient, just, and climate-aligned cold-chains in Africa.

What will you take away from the festival?

This is in part a science fair, part an art show, part an ideas’ marketplace, part a music festival, part a networking ground, while remaining wholly an immersive celebration of sustainable cooling.

We aim to merge formal learning with informal discovery and lots of hands-on experience throughout the week. Come and join us to find out answers to a range of cooling questions you have always wondered about.

Contact ACES now

ACES, Rwanda sand Kenya setup

Let’s be clear; this isn’t a conference. It’s not a trade show. And it won't be boring ... By introducing cold-chain and clean cooling concepts into schools and universities, we’re not just adding another topic — we’re planting the seeds of resilience, innovation, and empowerment.

Find out more by contacting us directly on:

festival-of-cooling@cleancooling.org

 

Clean cooling facts

40% of food is lost between production and consumption in sub-Saharan Africa

Clean cooling facts

You can cool your food and drinks just by pedalling your bike

Clean cooling facts

Rwanda achieved the WHO targets for COVID-19 vaccine deployment during the pandemic and was one of only 4 African nations to achieve this.

Clean cooling facts

The sun might be hot, but it can be used to power clean cooling solutions

By Degrees Magazine

Expert comment and analysis from The Clean Cooling Network, in long-read magazine format.

By Degrees Magazine aims to promote, explore and stimulate debate around the role of cooling as critical infrastructure, ensuring societal well-being, economic stability, and public health; adapting and mitigating the impacts of extreme heat to climate change.