Thousands of music fans and revellers thronged the Lugogo Cricket Oval on Saturday 9th May 2026 as Safari Beats, the lifestyle and entertainment brand by Africa One Tours and Travel Limited, together with Nile Breweries Limited through its flagship brand Nile Special, successfully hosted one of Uganda’s biggest and most vibrant lifestyle and entertainment experiences of the year headlined by Jamaican dancehall superstar Spice. The highly anticipated concert delivered a full-scale fusion of music, culture, tourism, and nightlife, cementing its place as a landmark moment on Uganda’s entertainment calendar.
Organised by Safari Beats and powered by Nile Special as the official beer partner, the concert brought together a wide network of partners including the Uganda Tourism Board, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Airlines, Buganda Heritage and Tourism Board, Serena Hotel, FlexiPay, Quicket, MTicket, ATS Events, and Wazo Dazo, all of whom played a key role in delivering a seamless world-class entertainment showcase.
From as early as 2:00pm, fans steadily streamed into the venue, welcomed by an immersive festival atmosphere filled with music, fan engagement activations, food, beverages, and branded experiences. Nile Special and other Nile Breweries brands maintained a commanding presence across the grounds, reinforcing the brewer’s continued investment in premium entertainment experiences that celebrate Ugandan culture, music, and social connection.
As the evening progressed, stage activity officially kicked off at around 6:30pm with an exciting lineup of Ugandan performers who kept the crowd fully engaged from start to finish. Mark D Urban opened the performances before the energy escalated with appearances from Navio and Ziza Bafana, each delivering crowd-favorite hits that drew massive reactions from fans packed across the venue. Renowned DJs DJ Slick Stuart and DJ Roja kept the momentum alive with electrifying sets while MC Naselow Da Don continuously hyped the audience and elevated the concert atmosphere deep into the night.
The entertainment experience was further amplified by dancehall performer Ritah Dancehall, whose energetic dance routines ignited the crowd before standout performances from Karole Kasita, Cindy Sanyu, and Sheebah Karungi elevated the excitement even further. Their performances celebrated the strength and influence of female artistry within Uganda’s music industry and perfectly set the stage for the night’s headline act.
At approximately 11:00pm, Spice made her highly anticipated entrance to thunderous cheers from fans who had waited hours for the dancehall icon to take center stage. Delivering a high-energy performance that lasted close to two hours, Spice thrilled revellers with a selection of her biggest hits, commanding the audience with her signature stage presence, charisma, and crowd interaction. One of the night’s standout moments came when she invited a set of Ugandan women on stage for a dance competition, eventually awarding two winners USD 500 each in appreciation of their performance and energy. She later brought a group of men on stage in another interactive segment that drew excitement and cheers from the crowd.
In an emotional cultural moment during the performance, Spice paused to honor her Jamaican roots by performing a Bob Marley classic while proudly waving the Jamaican flag before thousands of fans, creating a symbolic connection between Jamaican dancehall culture and Uganda’s vibrant music audience.
Speaking to the media during the event, the Head of Marketing at Nile Breweries Limited, Wangechi Gitahi, highlighted the significance of the experience and Nile Special’s role in elevating entertainment culture in Uganda.
“This concert represents exactly the kind of bold, premium and culturally relevant experiences that Nile Special believes in. Beyond the music, this has been about bringing people together, celebrating talent, showcasing Uganda, and creating unforgettable moments for consumers. From the incredible turnout to the energy we’ve seen throughout the night, it’s clear that Ugandans are eager for experiences that blend entertainment, culture, and lifestyle at a world-class level. Nile Special is proud to have been at the center of that.”
Beyond the concert itself, the week-long experience positioned Uganda as both a tourism and entertainment destination. Prior to the show, Spice participated in a series of curated tourism and cultural activities that included visits to Buganda Kingdom heritage sites, a stop at Bulange, a conservation engagement at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where she named a baby rhino, and a wildlife experience at Murchison Falls National Park. The integration of tourism into the entertainment experience reflected Safari Beats’ broader vision of using music and culture as vehicles to showcase Uganda’s beauty, heritage, and identity to regional and international audiences.
