“The bass thunders, but the vocals vanish. The crowd sings along, not because they hear the artist, but because they can't stand the silence; that’s the beauty of a good sound system,” says a consultant with Waridi Events Limited.
Kenyan eventgoers are paying more, expecting more, and deserve production quality that matches their investment. Consequently, event planners and promoters are exploring ways to optimize the experience.
The Growing Expectation
“Besides, Kenya’s event culture has evolved from intimate gigs to large-scale festivals. Anticipation is already building for the upcoming Sol Fest, while Blankets & Wine, held earlier this month, was okay,” says Johnmark Oungo, CEO of the Fall Season Events.
This evolution has been catapulted by the rise of professional organizers, ticketing platforms, and high-end profile international acts, like Grammy Winner, Burna Boy, at the MadfunXperience Concert, and Jamaican sensation, Shenseea, who gagged fans at the Furaha City Festival, performing alongside Tanzanian acts Alikiba and Marioo.
“With this growth, the audience has evolved; they now understand what good sound and stage design should feel like,” adds Mr. Oungo, whose company will be hosting the Mr. and Miss Fashion Kenya early December. You can get your tickets here.
Reality Check & the Cost of Mediocrity
Despite this resounding growth, some of these events have suffered terrible reviews from fans.
For instance, one eventgoer on X bemoaned the sound system at the Blanckets and Wines, sentiments that were shared by many.
“The main stage sound was terrible, and I felt sorry for ‘We are Nubia’ ‘cause you can tell they put their heart and soul into this, but the sound. Terrible... Tems was really good, despite the terrible sound,” said X user, @MediaMK.
“These unfortunate ordeals may stem from Poor sound mixing and unbalanced audio, Inadequate lighting and stage setup, lack of acoustically suitable venues, and last-minute technical setups or underqualified sound crews,” says Waridi Events representative.
When it happens, artists can’t deliver their best, and the audiences leave unsatisfied (hurting brand loyalty).
“Kenya also loses reputation as a reliable live-performance destination and sponsors pull back when audience reviews go south,” he adds.
What’s Missing?
“Well, budget prioritization is among the reasons besides limited local expertise in acoustic engineering and lighting design,” says JohnMark Oungo of the Fall Season.
He adds that reliance on outdated or rented equipment and lack of industry standards and quality checks, too, are to be blamed.
If Kenya’s festivals are to match the energy of Afro Nation or Coachella, the focus must shift to training top-tier sound and lighting crews and fostering real teamwork between artists and production teams.
Rethinking venue acoustics and introducing a sound-and-stage rating system could also raise the bar.
“Kenyan fans don’t just show up for the music; they show up for an experience. It’s time organizers matched that energy with quality production,” says Mr. Oungo.
