Culture
From Bamasaaba Night to DJ Roja: Elgon Festival Opens This Friday in Mbale
Mbale City is counting down to a cultural and musical takeover as the Elgon Festival 2025 opens this Friday, September 5, at the Mt. Elgon Culture & History Museum. For three days, the city will pulse with tradition, fashion, food, and urban beats in a celebration that fuses ancestral heritage with modern creativity.
The festivities will open with Bamasaaba Night, a tribute to the host community and the wider Elgon ethnicities. The evening will feature a headlining performance by Titus Vybes, alongside showcases of Bamasaaba dance, fashion, and cuisine that anchor the festival in its rich local roots.
Saturday will bring the festival’s biggest spectacle. The day will begin with a cultural parade that will see representatives of nine Elgon ethnicities including the Bagisu/Bamasaba, Sebei, Sabaot, Pokot, Teso, Bagwere, Samia, Banyole, Japadhola, and Basoga march through Republic, Naboa, and Market streets.
Dressed in dazzling traditional attire, they will converge at the museum for a vibrant daytime concert, traditional dance showcases, food stalls, beauty competitions, and cultural exhibitions. By evening, the spotlight shifts to International Night, where rising star Joshua Baraka and a lineup of regional artists will deliver an Afro-fusion extravaganza connecting East Africa and beyond.
The celebration will wrap up on Sunday, September 7, with National Night, headlined by DJ Roja, who will spin the latest Ugandan urban anthems to close the festival with high energy. But music will be only part of the story: throughout the weekend, visitors will explore artisan markets, street-style fashion shows, drama performances, and youth mentorship sessions. Adventurers will also have the chance to take guided hikes on Mt. Elgon’s Bushiyi Trail and enjoy cultural tours in Wanale and Bulambuli, immersing themselves in the landscapes that inspire the region’s heritage.
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