Entertainment
Kampala City Carnival Makes Triumphant Return After Seven-Year Hiatus
The beloved Kampala City Carnival is set to return with grandeur and renewed purpose, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) announced on Monday, marking the end of a seven-year pause on what was once Uganda’s most anticipated urban festival.
Speaking at a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre, KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki revealed that the official launch of the 2025 edition will take place on August 6, 2025, at City Hall. “I am excited to announce the return of the city celebrations,” Buzeki declared with enthusiasm. “And I want you to mark the word celebration, not the other words you know. It’s coming back. It’s going to be big. It’s going to be better this month.”
Buzeki emphasized that the revived event will transcend its festive roots to become a vibrant expression of culture, unity, and community spirit. Full festival dates and program details are expected to be unveiled during the official launch event. “As we say at KCCA, and I say it again here: it is the responsibility of each one of us to make Kampala a city we all deserve to have,” she added, calling for public support and engagement.
Launched in 2012, the Kampala City Carnival swiftly became the city’s largest street celebration, drawing thousands of Ugandans and international visitors to Kampala’s central business district. Over the years, the carnival featured dazzling parades, electrifying musical performances, delicious food stalls, and vibrant cultural exhibitions—all aimed at promoting Kampala’s rich diversity and supporting local enterprise.
However, in 2018, the festival was suspended amid budgetary constraints and rising concerns over public health and infrastructure priorities. Then KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi, while announcing the hiatus, explained that the Shs500 million typically allocated for the carnival would be redirected to essential services.
“We realised that if we divert this money to schools and hospitals, it would be better because some of the people who come to the festival are the very people who go to seek services in our city health centres and schools,” Musisi noted at the time.
The Carnival’s return signals a fresh commitment by city authorities to revive Kampala’s cultural heartbeat, attract tourism, and foster civic pride. With a new leadership tone and a promise of inclusivity, the 2025 edition is poised to redefine the festival’s legacy in a post-pandemic, development-focused Kampala.
Details regarding this year’s theme, featured performers, parade routes, and community participation frameworks will be disclosed during the official launch on Wednesday.
If its past is anything to go by, the Kampala City Carnival 2025 is not just a festival—it is a powerful moment of reconnection, celebration, and collective hope for a better urban future.
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