Today, Nyege Nyege picks up the third and most active day of the edition; initially, Nyege Nyege was a festival where the unmatched energy took people through Thursday to Monday morning or afternoon when the last act played.
However, over the past few years, the festival started tapping into Uganda’s mainstream audiences, which came with a few tweaks; for instance, in 2015, when the first edition of the festival was held, it was mainly a festival celebrating electronic music genres such as gaba, techno and ethno electronic music.
By 2019, as sponsorship swelled and the crowds diversified, the programming shifted. Acts like Catu Diosis, Kampire or Decay – once the pulse of Nyege Nyege – increasingly found themselves pushed to secondary stages as the main stage filled with Afrobeats and dancehall heavyweights such as Pallaso, Sheebah and Vampino. The growth continued, but so did the mainstreaming. Today, even the DJ culture the festival championed has been reshaped to accommodate celebrity crowd-pullers like Lyndah Ddane and DJ Alyshia. As the festival celebrates the tenth edition, we look at Nyege Nyege’s hits and misses over the years.
The wins
Economic impact
Nyege Nyege has over the years been held in various venues, what most of the residents in these places will always say about the festival is the economic impact it leaves. By 2019, for instance, many homesteads next to the first venue, The Nile Discovery Resort, would rent out both their compounds and rooms to revellers who wanted to enjoy the festival without camping at the festival grounds.
Some families charged up to Shs100,000 per camper, which was less than what the festival grounds charged but a lot of money for someone who was simply letting 10 or more people sleep in their compound. When the festival moved grounds as it has over the years, resorts and hotels made a killing. According to Resident Advisor magazine, in 2024 alone, the festival generated more than $2m (Shs7b), in spending, much of which benefited local hotels, vendors, and small businesses.
Cultural and Musical Innovation
Nyege Nyege is more than a party, it is a cultural revolution that has celebrated mainstream kidandali but has also given space to burgeoning talent from as far as Gulu, Mbale, Soroti and Arua; it is Nyege Nyege through their record label, the Nyege Nyege Tapes that has allowed diverse artistes such as MC Yallah to realise a dream as touring artists.
Nyege Nyege Tapes has over the years created a roster, the biggest label with working Ugandan artistes such as Alpha Otim, Catu Diosis, Kampire and of course MC Yallah, who recently performed at the Glastonbury Festival in England.
Resilience and growth
For a festival which started each campaign with a fight and vows, the festival has come way too far. At first, the festival was fought by the then minister of Ethics, the late Simon Lokodo, for apparently being a recruitment ground for homosexuals. Then it was attacked by religious leaders, accusing it of being evil. It was also criticised by the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, who vowed it would not take place as long as she was still Speaker.
The fact that Anita Among is still a Speaker and the festival has happened thrice in her reign is a true mark of resilience. Of course, as years have gone by, many of the voices fighting the festival have realised that perception of it and what exactly happens at the festival are two different things.
Support from locals
Nyege Nyege initially started as a platform championing electronic music, which wasn’t popular among the masses, yet as years have rolled by, the festival has managed to create a mix between Uganda’s mainstream and the Greater Jinja’s industries with electronic music. Today, the festival enjoys support from locals, many of whom are happy it exists.
Misses/criticisms
Moral and religious backlash
For all the festival has done, Nyege Nyege continues to attract negative publicity from church leaders, who often blame Uganda’s degeneration on the event. There has been recurring debates about the festival and what it is really about. Some religious leaders have also claimed that satanism and occultism are practiced at the festival.
Poor media coverage
Nyege Nyege Festival attracts a wide number of local and international media. However, for most of the time, it is only the foreign media that covers the festival for the arts. Local media coverage is usually polarised, seeking people getting drunk, dancing in suggestive ways, which has distorted how many people end up understanding the festival. For the time the festival has existed, for instance, its economic prowess, and cultural impact have mostly been published by a few legacy medias and mainly international outlets. The achievements of Nyege Nyege Tapes, for instance, are rarely outlined to an extent that many Ugandans don’t even know there is a record label under the Nyege Nyege brand.
Perceptions of exclusion
In a country where ticket prices for events are still as low as Shs10,000, many Ugandans feel like the festival ticket price excludes people without a bigger financial backing. Some argue ticket prices or the cost of travel to Jinja exclude local Ugandans, making it more accessible to wealthier or international visitors.
Failure to get a home
Nyege Nyege is hosting the 10th edition and while at it, they are also moving to their fourth venue. Over the years, the festival has been held at the Nile Discovery Resort, Itanda Falls, Jinja Golf Course and now, Kalagala Falls. Much as the crowd has been following the festival wherever it goes, there have been missed opportunities of storytelling and creating legacies around venues. Nile Discovery was a central location, not too near and yet not very far, a win-win for both the guests and service providers. How long will they last at Kalangala?
Overall assessment
Big win:
Nyege Nyege has become more than just a music festival – it’s a cultural institution and economic driver. It has helped build and export East Africa’s underground music scenes, especially electronic and experimental genres.
Still navigating:
But it operates in a tough space. There are strong cultural tensions in Uganda about morality, and public perception is split. Logistical challenges (transport, camping) and safety perceptions remain barriers.
Potential:
If the organisers continue to refine their approach, investing in transport, improving local engagement, and managing security well – Nyege Nyege could become a model for how African festivals can grow responsibly.