By BAMUTURAKI MUSINGUZI

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Organisers of the popular Nyege Nyege music and arts festival have announced this year's dates, starting the countdown to the ninth edition of the annual event that draws revellers from across East Africa.

The festival is scheduled for November 14 to 17, 2024, at the source of the Nile in Jinja, eastern Uganda.

The event to be celebrated under the Pan-African diversity theme, "Afrogalactic Carnival," aims to combine contemporary music with traditions, highlighting Uganda’s natural beauty and rich tapestry of cultures.

This year's dates were announced during this year’s Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo organised by the Uganda Tourism Board in Kampala.

Uganda is known for hosting the largest refugee population in Africa, and this year, Nyege Nyege will showcase many of the talents in exile featuring Sudanese, Congolese, Eritrean, Burundian and Ethiopian artistes.

Read: Fun, pomp and ceremony at Nyege Nyege despite advisories

It will comprise cultural pavilions and stages for music, fashion, food and culture from different parts of East Africa and the continent, echoing Uganda’s reputation as one of the world’s most hospitable countries.

“Nyege Nyege aims to reflect Uganda’s hospitality and cultural diversity, advocating peace and an insatiable thirst for a good time, which is the exact definition of Nyege Nyege in Uganda,” said festival organiser Derek Debru.

The event is expected to feature curated shows from Sudan, South Africa, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, UK, India and Brazil, as well as all East African countries and special partnerships with cultural organisations representing all parts of Uganda.

The organisers say that the 2023 festival was a success in production and in providing a safe environment for revellers and this year’s Nyege Nyege will, again, work with security agencies to ensure success.

Longtime sponsor Uganda Breweries Ltd will host three distinct experiences at the event in addition to a new “Hakuna Kulala” stage that will deliver a 96-hour music and performance marathon comprising live acts, deejays and dance and theatre performances.

This year’s edition will be staged at a brand-new site: 12 acres at the Source of the Nile in Jinja, Njeru. It is opposite of last year’s location, which saw more than 20,000 people from across Uganda, Africa and the globe gather for the four-day event.

The new site features a new aqua park, ample parking, camping infrastructures, and is naturally secure, making it the perfect home for Nyege Nyege.

The organisers have partnered with neighbouring landowners to establish and run this year’s campsite, which will be directly connected to the festival site.

Read: Ugandan sounds rock the show on World Music Day

The 2024 line-up, which will be announced on July 1, will include the announcement of guest curators from Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Last year’s festival included BET award winner, South African superstar Sho Madjozi; Vigro Deep who brought the best of the signature South African house music genre Amapiano; Grammy-nominated and BET winner Ugandan singer Eddy Kenzo; Nigerian hip-hop singer and songwriter Aunty Rayzor; and the acclaimed African DJ Kampire.

The organsers expect that this edition will inject some $10 million in the country’s economy.

Tickets are available at nyegenyege.com.