Friday having been Eid al- Adha and thus a public holiday, the number of campers at the festival was bigger and it was a commercial success, as a source told The Observer that before Thursday they had sold about 6,000 tickets.
This year, in partnership with Talent Africa and Bell Lager, the festival got the word out like never before, with billboards across town and social media influencers talking about the event.
Four buses came from Nairobi with Kenyan Nyege Nyege fans, while other communities from South Africa, DR Congo and Tanzania also travelled in groups for the festival. Nyege Nyege never promises too much on the main stage; in fact, it is the experience of being there that always stands out.
Even with acts such as Haka Mukiga, Byg Ben Sukuya, A Ka Dope band, Jackie Akello, Maro and Kongoloko, among others, it was the DJ mixes that the audience craved more.
This year, the three-day event switched things up to include music genres not paid attention to in the past; this saw them programme a number of folklore artistes as well as curating a stage for reggae.
And in the middle of it all, people were dancing into the wee hours of the morning each day. From the time the festival opened at 2pm on Friday, the music did not stop until Monday morning at about 6am, despite the steady downpour; patrons stomped the resort’s grounds into a pool of mud.
Trust Kampala’s slay queens; they came ready with gumboots and managed to look amazing even there, on the muddy dance floor.
This year’s edition was the biggest organisers have had, and one of the artistes present was overheard saying: “Nyege Nyege is going to take the African festival circuit by storm.”
HOW NYEGE NYEGE WENT DOWN
The most coveted regional festival ticket in the past has been the one to Sauti Za Busara in Zanzibar; well, watch out for Nyege Nyege. Not so much because of the music on stage, but more for the extras offered by its setting on the banks of River Nile and away from the KCCA curfews.
Patrons bought tickets online at Shs 130,000 (Shs 150,000 at the gates) and for the early birds this fee even came with a tent for the three days. Others carried their own tents, while most of the Ugandan patrons not big on camping (they called those of us who pitched tents, mzungu) opted to book into hotels.
When the festival kicked off, it was day and night partying, eating and sleeping in no particular order but as the urge hit, until Monday morning.
For breaks, some revelers tasted Jinja’s nightlife and hotels, went white water rafting, bungee jumping and took canoe rides. Soon it was time to head home saturated with fun, leaving the resort with a massive cleanup and landscaping job ahead!
kaggwandre@gmail.com