Blankets & Wine has been setting the standards for festivals in Kenya and now East Africa, for a few years now. They are not afraid to push the envelope, which is what I think makes them stand out. To this end, Good Times Africa, parent company of Blankets & Wine, are holding the Africa Nouveau Festival over 2 days and 2 nights at the Ngong Racecourse-Waterfront, kicking off at 4pm on Friday the 2nd, through to the night of Sunday the 4th.

Africa Nouveau Festival

What is Africa Nouveau you ask? Well, according to Good Times Africa, it’s the spirit that encaspulates creativity, connections, innovation, sustainability and new Pan Africanism. This is not the first Africa Nouveau by the way, first one was back in 2015, and I actually performed spoken word at this festival. (If you didn’t know, now you know!)

Afrobubblegum

The Africa Nouveau Festival this year finds African creatives on the cusp of radical revolution, and herein lies the theme of the festival – Afrobubblegum.


Afrobubblegum is a clarion call, calling to the fore the qualities of colour, fire, quirkiness, playfulness, curiosity, fun, frivolity, fantasy, in the African creative who has long been constricted within the bounds of agenda art. Agenda art is important and necessary, but there’s more to African art. Fun can also be a political statement.

Live Fashion Lookbook

The festival will be fashion-heavy, featuring, among other things, a live lookbook, leading up to a digitally distributed fashion magazine featuring both creatives and attendees. Designers, stylists, photographers, art collectives and fashion enterprises will be from Kenya, UK and Ethiopia.

Blankets & Wine Takeover

The Africa Nouveau Festival will feature some of the most progressive upcoming artistes from various parts of Africa including: Sao Tome e Principe, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda and DRC. Blankets & Wine will be having a takeover on Sunday, bringing Kwesta and other amazing artistes on stage.

The Festival is designed for an adult audience, and attendees are strongly discouraged from bringing children along. Food and drinks bought off site will not be allowed into the festival venue.

Tickets are going for Ksh 3,500 for a weekend pass and Ksh 1,800 for a daily pass and can be purchased here.

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Blankets & Wine has been setting the standards for festivals in Kenya and now East Africa, for a few years now. They are not afraid to push the envelope, which is what I think makes them stand out. To this end, Good Times Africa, parent company of Blankets &...