When the year began it felt like the country's festival and to an extent the events scene was as packed as a dam at full capacity. There didn't seem to be room for anything more. December 2025 had seen Unplugged return from near oblivion, Ngoma Nehosho's Carpe Diem had finally figured out how to balance 2 editions in a year, Fiesta had drawn the crowd but not so much the artist, and despite its difficulties Dzoka Fest had made a huge splash.
Yet while all these things were in the mix, Ama2k Fest announced its debut edition and there was an instant feeling that they would be satiating a hunger for a festival of that particular nature. The pre-event article we wrote on it had the headline "Ama2k Fest: A bold new concept for the youth." The ambition was clear to see, the concept easy to love, and propelled by Hatiperi's marketing genius, it was a resounding success.
There has never been a festival that hosted a debut edition with as much success – in both attendance and organisation – as Ama2k Fest (Freeman's HKD Festival comes to mind but even that doesn't measure up in numbers). It wasn't just an event but a movement for the youth; transcending conventional narratives about what an event should be. It instantly disavowed me of the notion that the festival space was anywhere near its limits.
While it roared to existence at Belgravia Sports Club, Bling4's Majeso Festival was also earning (rightly so) itself a slice of history at Aquatic Complex. Zim hip hop was having one of its biggest moments, as 10,000 youths sang along to new age anthems that use clever wordplay to paint our lived realities.
Between Ama2k Fest and Majeso, 20,000+ people had been drawn for the festival experience, on a night that also had Afro Culture Connect (with Jah Prayzah, Jamaica's Alaine et al. in concert), Day Vybez and Kaos all taking place. And all this comes after a weekend where the city had hosted Unplugged, SOKE and several other events. It was exceedingly evident that if you curate a great experience, the audience will come.
This not just about putting a lineup together but providing an experience that caters to a target market. Unplugged has been riding on a wave of nostalgia and catering to the audience that fell in love with it all those years ago, and they've structured it to be family friendly while allowing adults to have fun. This has made its return to the top seamless.
Ama2k Fest intentionally targeted Gen Z, catering to them through its lineup and marketing (a key point being the memorabilia: the jerseys and glowing tags), while offering something different from the typical. The fact that the youth don't have places for recreation has long been a point of conversation, and Ama2k's success showcases just how much the kids want a space for themselves to be themselves. This can be seen as a similar factor behind Bling4's Majeso Festival success.
To even extend this, as Ama2k Fest was taking place Teen Fest was announcing its debut edition set for August. It targets an even younger focus group, with a policy of no alcohol or smoking. It's still early, but I have no doubt it will be sold out.
In a month or so, the Sunshine City Festival will be bringing together 6 countries as it takes over Harare Gardens, with an event that brings together both theatre and music as centerpieces.
So, returning to the question that started this article: Has Zimbabwe's festival scene reached its peak? Not yet, in fact we're far from it. Post Covid-19, there has been a cultural shift that has changed our entertainment consumption habits. We now desire to be outside more than ever. Pharmacies now sell more festival tickets than prescriptions and there an ongoing race by digital platforms to sell the countries event tickets.
As much as this has been going on for a few years, we're very much still learning. From stage setups (we haven'teven begun incorporating pyrotechnics into our showcases), to curation, and even marketing. New concepts are constantly popping up and being refined. While the festival appetite itself has reached fever pitch, there's still more to be done by the festival's themselves.