On Thursday, the Ugandan town of Jinja opened its doors for the 8th edition of the Nyege Nyege Fest, the biggest electronic music festival in the region that has been consistently hailed as one of the best of its kind by global music publications.
This year's festival will run until November 12 at three interconnected locations along the Nile River: the Jinja Golf Course, the source of the Nile, and the Jinja Showground, which host nine stages of accomplished African electronic music artists.
The festival takes its name from its "parents" – the band Nyege Nyege, founded ten years ago by expatriates Arlen Dilsizian and Derek Debru. The name refers to a Swahili word for "a sudden, uncontrollable urge to dance," which basically describes the ideology of the event.
Festival-goers are filling social media with footage of the exhilarating event as they enjoy the music and atmosphere of the event.
This year the organizers promise an international line-up of talented traditional and electronic music artists from many African countries such as Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Comoros, Nigeria and Cameroon. Artists from several European countries, India and the US will also perform at the festival.
A musical group performing at the Nyage Nyage Festival
© Photo Official Nyage Nyage website
In addition, over 40 renowned DJs from Africa and other parts of the world, including the pioneer of Angolan Kuduro music, DJ Znobia, will be playing their incendiary sets.
The Nyege Nyege is not only rich in music, it is also a feast for the eyes and the stomach. The festival features an African Film Theater and the Nyege East African Mall with brands from across the region, food courts with a variety of local cuisines, rides and water activities, relaxation areas and more.
Speaking of entertainment, the event offers additional paid services such as rafting, tubing and bungee jumping for the adrenaline junkies, as well as quad rides.
This year, organizers have also assured attendees that they have increased security at the festival with a new initiative called the Nyege Nyege Angels, a group of pink-reflector-wearing security guards who will be on site 24/7 to ensure safety.
Earlier this week, US and UK diplomatic missions warned their citizens not to travel to Jinja, citing alleged terrorist threats.
The Nyege Nyege, which has been held annually since 2015, took a three-year hiatus in 2019 before returning in 2022. According to organizers, about 13,000 people attended the event in 2019 and about 15,000 in 2022.