Bell Lager will serve as lead premium sponsor of Congolese music icon Koffi Olomide’s concert in Gulu City during Uganda’s Independence Day holiday weekend. Open Mic Uganda is organising the event for Friday, October 9, at the Northern Pearl Hotel Garden on Gulu-Kitgum Road.
The concert brings Bell Lager’s Obafest platform to Northern Uganda. Olomide will headline a programme featuring Ugandan performers, and organisers expect audiences from Gulu and neighbouring districts, along with visitors travelling to Northern Uganda for the holiday.
The event and performers
Gates are scheduled to open at 2 p.m. Friday. The programme is due to run until 4 a.m. Saturday, October 10. The concert takes place at the Northern Pearl Hotel Garden, on Gulu-Kitgum Road.
Ugandan artists joining Olomide on stage include dancehall singer Cindy, Eezzy, Batman, Jelly G and Lucky David. Comedian Patrick Salvado will host. Organisers said audiences could see Olomide perform some of his best-known songs with musicians and dancers.
Olomide stands as a prominent figure in Congolese rumba and soukous. His catalogue includes “Loi,” “Effrakata,” “Papa Bonheur,” “Tcha Tcho” and “Selfie.” The programme pairs his international performance with appearances by Ugandan artists.
Sponsor and festival platform
Obafest, Bell Lager’s beer festival platform, brings together music, food and entertainment. The Gulu concert forms part of its programme, with Bell Lager as lead premium sponsor. Brand Manager Lilian Kansiime said the sponsorship supports music and cultural events across the country.
“As Uganda’s very own beer, Bell Lager celebrates culture, social connection and the arts. Bell Obafest is a celebration of how Ugandans come together to enjoy music, beer and food,” Kansiime said. She said the Gulu event would let audiences in Northern Uganda take part in the festival.
“By bringing the experience to Gulu in partnership with the Koffi Olomide concert, we are giving consumers in Gulu an opportunity to be part of that celebration,” she said.
Kansiime also called the sponsorship part of Bell Lager’s continued backing for live music and the creative arts. “The partnership for the Koffi Olomide concert in Gulu reflects our commitment to bringing premium music experiences to consumers. We are proud to support Open Mic Uganda in delivering an international performance of this scale alongside the Ugandan artists who will share the stage,” she said.
A concert outside Kampala
The announcement places the Gulu concert among a growing number of major music events staged outside Kampala. Such events give audiences elsewhere in the country access to international and local performers. The programme spans the Independence Day holiday weekend, bringing a Congolese headliner, Ugandan performers and a beer festival platform together at one venue.