Kilifi New Year, Kenya’s freshest boutique festival experience is back for its third edition, bigger and bolder than ever! Kilifi New Year is excited to announce the full line-up of artists to perform at Kilifi New Year 2016-17.
The highlights of a line-up that includes artists from Kenya, Senegal, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands and the UK include Kenya’s own Bengatronics, the return of Seth Schwarz with his unique electric violin combo, an Electrafrique Band reunion, a visit from the legendary Be Svendsen and a broad mix of Kenya’s finest electronic performers.
Kilifi New Year is also proud to announce the forging of new connections in arts and culture on the continent, and this year we welcome team members from Swaziland’s MTN Bushfire festival (called the ‘top African festival’ by the BBC and ‘one of 7 African festivals you really have to see’ by CNN) and Zimbabwe’s iconic arts institution, The Book Café, in support of this ambitious budding electronic music festival.
The festival
Calling all afronauts, merrymakers, creators, movers, shakers! Kilifi New Year is a radically creative two-day explosion of music and tropical beach culture set on the gorgeous banks of Kilifi Creek in Southern Kenya. Incredible performers from around Africa and the world will come together to put on a unique, technicolour show to celebrate the intersection between African and World electronic music. Kilifi New Year is a celebration, a location and a journey all in one.
The event starts on the afternoon of December 31, and you are invited to pitch your tent in Kilifi New Year’s forest camp, have a cold drink at the bar and prepare yourselves for 36 hours of musical mayhem. Performers from around the world will unite to turn the beachside playground into an extraordinary exhibition of colours, lights, installations and stalls of mind-blowing diversity and proportion.
There will be a selection of food stalls, along with vegetarian options, a fully stocked bar for the duration of the event, medical facilities on standby, crafts, curios and boutique goods for sale, and friendly security throughout the festival site. Toilets are eco-friendly (and numerous), while showers on site are fresh and cool (you wouldn’t want a hot one!).
The line-up
- Bengatronics
- Seth Schwarz
- Electrafrique Band
- Be Svendsen
- Umojah Sound System
- Cortega
- Luke Redford
- Umoja
- Gregg Tendwa, Eddie Grey and Makadem
- Dread Steppa
- Lucky Birdi
- Enchan
- Chucky
- Pete Rowbots
The setting
Every New Year, this beautifully pristine location blossoms into the venue for the most exuberant, yet intimate New Year’s party in the region. With an eclectic blend of music from around the world, with Africa at the forefront, Kilifi New Year has managed to create an ambience that keeps audiences jamming and feeling good for days into the new year. Nestled between the Giriama village of Fumbene and the beautiful emerald waters of Kilifi creek, the festival site is a message of optimism and an experimental model of environmentally and socially conscious living. Beyond the festival, explore the area with snorkeling trips, moonlit dhow sailing, village walks, and bonfire parties; mingle with travelers from around the world in green and leafy social spaces and be welcomed by the wonderful village community. As Lonely Planet put it in their review of the venue: “If you need a reason to visit Kilifi, this is it.” Karibu!
More information
Dates: 4pm Saturday December 31 2016 until 6am Monday January 2 2017
Tickets: www.kilifinewyear.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KilifiNewYear/
Twitter: @KilifiNewYear
Instagram: @KilifiNewYear
