Back to old days: Tukutane lines up mega celebrities for world-class experience

Organisers of Tukutane Esther Kmau, Khalani Sichangi, Lynne the Brand, Nonny Kahuko and Natasha.

Open to diverse cultures and urban lifestyles, Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city for many years hyped as the entertainment hub of Africa – the green city in the sun.

Home to thousands of music and film creatives and reverberating with culture and diversity, the ‘Los Angeles’ of Africa, Nairobi, has exported its celebrities across the globe and hosted iconic stars in reciprocal measure.

American hip-hop legend Rick Ross was here in 2018, Akon has been here multiple times, including a performance in 2009 at the MTV Africa Music awards in 2009, talk of UB40 (featuring Ali Campbell and Astrol) in 2020 and Boyz 11 Men’s show in 2023.

Jason Derulo, Madonna, Lauryn Hill, Ashanti, Sean Paul and Shaggy have paid homage to the city, one that epitomises a country running the third biggest creative economy in Africa…

And the list goes on with Grammy-nominated Jamaican reggae artiste Luciano still here for the umpteenth time after an exhilarating weekend concert.

Even with its enviable catalogue of mega events and its reputation as being the launching pad for Africa’s greatest, like Davido, Rema, Diamond, Ayra Starr and Burna Boy, their prospects have been dwindling in recent years. Even though the stars have been jetting in in droves, most have been here on luxury private tourism indulgence, while the majority who flew in for the much publicised concerts ended up disappointing, not of their own volition but mostly for logistical hiccups and rogue promoters who have chocked the reputation of the industry to the core.

But now, the stage is set for Kenya’s entertainment scene to return to its glory days, with a world-class mega concert scheduled for next month at Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium, a show that is expected to kick-start the holiday festivities in a style never experienced before.

“We are positioning Kenya on the global entertainment map. Beyond music, Tukutane is committed to creating socio-economic impact by establishing Kenya as a cultural and entertainment hub in Africa. We are building platforms that attract international talent while spotlighting our own stars,” said Tukutane founder and CEO Khalani Sichangi.

He said that the concert aims to deliver a high-quality, safe and unforgettable experience for fans.

The event, the first of its kind to be held at the 30,000-seater venue in almost a decade, will feature a stellar line-up of international performers, including top London-based stars, Africa’s crème de la crème and Kenya’s pride. The line-up continues to excite as the stars get revealed in sequence, week after week. London-based singing sensation Gabzy,  Afrobeats luminary Asake and Kenya’s own magastars collective Kodong Klan have already been unveiled with more cards under the organisers' sleeves. It is a lineup like no other one set to entertain an estimated crowd of over 60,000 fans – a record number in Kenya’s showbiz history.

The setup is far from the mediocre stages the ever enthusiastic Kenyan fans are used to. With big money and professional expertise, the team behind the bonanza says the event will mirror such has been witnessed abroad with international precision. Such as Burna Boy’s sold-out 80,000-capacity London Stadium 2023 and 2024 show, that being the benchmark.   

Confirming their readiness to “put Kenya back on the world map” and reignite the country’s showbiz buzz, organisers Tukutane hosted a landmark stakeholders’ roundtable breakfast in Nairobi this week, not only to tie up the ends but also to assert their focus of putting Kenya back on the showbiz map.

“Although we have had good concerts, we haven’t had such as we are putting together. We have seen full-capacity stadium concerts such as the firsts Burna Boy has had in London Stadium. That is the level of a concert we are talking about. We have experienced big events at the Carnivore, Uhuru Gardens, and Kenyatta International Convention Centre, and even Kasarani Stadium. However, we are taking this a notch higher and that is why we are bringing it to Nyayo Stadium. All the planning is indicating that this will be a phenomenal experience and a memorable one that will set the bar high and take Kenyan concerts back to the heydays,” said one of the stakeholders mapping the concert.      

Sichangi emphasised that the show will be a rare, high-calibre experience unlike anything the city has witnessed before.

The strategic gathering brought together key partners, industry leaders, creators, corporate players, security specialists and other entertainment stakeholders, all united by one mission: to collaborate, align and shape what is projected to be one of Kenya’s biggest entertainment events of 2025.

Kenyan group Kodong Klan will proudly fly the Kenyan flag as they perform alongside international heavyweights. The collective, made up of singer-songwriters and poets Bensoul, Okello Max, Charisma, Mordecai Dex, Coster Ojwang, Ywaya Tajiri and Israel Onyach, is known for its self-titled album ‘Disko,’ released a few months ago to strong acclaim for its fusion of diverse Kenyan sounds.

Asake and Gabzy bring star power from Nigeria and London, respectively.

Asake remains one of Nigeria’s most electrifying contemporary artistes, leading a dynamic blend of Afrobeats and Amapiano across global charts.

Gabzy, based in London, is celebrated for his smooth R&B catalogue.

Their performances, together with those of other foreign stars flying into East Africa’s entertainment capital, will mark the first full-scale stadium concert at Nyayo Stadium in nine years.

The event is slated for 20 December.

“We need this kind of reawakening. Nairobi has all it takes to host an internal event and I trust that the timing is right for this. Kenyans have always supported concerts that feature artistes they like and with such an impressive lineup, I don’t think ticket fee can be the question, all signs are that Kenyans are ready to kick off the holiday with a good show,” says Ezra Mulama, a leading events strategist.