Tusker Oktobafest, once famous for its massive single event at Ngong Racecourse, has
evolved into a multi-city celebration that is unlikely to revert to its old format any time
soon.
The festival, now in its sixth edition, began in 2019 as one large-scale Nairobi event. But
after Covid-19 pandemic disrupted mass gatherings, organizers restructured it into
smaller regional festivals starting in 2021.
The approach stuck, and today Oktobafest is spread across the country and even the
wider East African region.
“The first time we did the regional events was in 2021… we could not have that many
people in one place,” said Marek Fuchs, founder of AfricaCentric Entertainment, which
co-created the festival with Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL).
“There are some people who really want the big one back, but for now it’s a noble effort
to take the celebration nationwide,” he added in a recent interview.
This year’s edition begins in Nairobi on October 4th at Carnivore Grounds with Kulture,
a nostalgic celebration of 2000s Kenyan music. From there, the festival moves to
Eldoret (October 11), Mombasa (October 18), Kisumu (October 25), and Nanyuki
(November 1).
At the same time KBL executives say the regional model makes both cultural and
business sense.
“We are taking the festival to our consumers, allowing us to truly meet them where they
are and deepen our social and economic impact,” said KBL Marketing Manager Mark
Mugisha at the launch.
The shift, however, has divided opinion. While regional audiences welcome the festival
closer to home, some fans still miss the energy of one mega gathering in the capital.
But for now, organizers insist the decentralized format better reflects Oktobafest’s
national identity.
From a one-city spectacle to a nationwide carnival, Oktobafest’s evolution suggests
that Kenya’s biggest beer festival is now more about reach than scale and the Ngong
Racecourse days may remain a thing of the past
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