NBO Film Festival has announced its seventh edition, set to run from October 15 to 25, 2026, across four venues in Nairobi—Prestige Plaza, Unseen Cinema, Kaloleni Social Hall and Alliance Française Nairobi—according to a press release dated September 2, 2026.

The organisers said the 2026 festival will combine public screenings with community programmes, “City Dialogues” and filmmaker conversations, positioning the event as part of Nairobi’s broader cultural calendar. The programme will operate under the theme “Cinema for Us,” which the festival describes as a push for African audiences to access and experience African films locally.

The announcement comes as Kenya’s film and creative economy continues to broaden, with festivals and industry platforms increasingly serving as routes for distribution, networking and project development. For Nairobi, a multi-venue festival format can drive foot traffic for host sites and offer local filmmakers additional routes to reach audiences and engage potential partners, including regional and international industry players.

According to the press release, the festival will expand its competitive slate to three juried competitions. It will retain the Fiction Feature Film Competition and add two new categories: the Nick Wambugu Prize for Documentary and a Short Film Fiction competition.

The festival said it will announce the competition jury chairs on September 4, followed by competition selections on September 7.

Mbithi Masya, Artistic Director of NBO Film Festival, said the theme is designed to centre local audiences in African cinema’s growth. “Cinema for us means creating a space where audiences can discover, celebrate and engage with the stories being made across Africa and beyond,” Masya said. “We want this festival to be part of Nairobi’s public life and a place where people come together to experience cinema, exchange ideas, recognise excellence and imagine what comes next.”

For the first time, the festival will also mount a filmmaker retrospective, dedicated to Senegalese filmmaker Alain Gomis, with Gomis expected to attend both audience and industry events. The retrospective is supported by EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture), the organisers said. The full retrospective line-up is scheduled to be revealed on September 9, followed by the announcement of the festival’s opening film and major Special Presentations on September 10.

Beyond programming for audiences, the festival said it will expand its industry programme, aimed at connecting filmmakers and professionals through the NBO Project Showcase, creative labs and professional exchanges. Such platforms can influence deal-making and co-production pipelines in East Africa by giving projects visibility earlier in development and widening access to mentors, financiers and commissioning editors.

In a timeline shared by the organisers, the festival trailer and ticket sales are set to launch on September 12, with the complete programme and screening schedule expected on September 14.

The organisers have not disclosed ticket prices, sponsorship figures or projected attendance in the press release. Key near-term milestones include the publication of competition selections, retrospective details and the opening-film announcement ahead of the October event.

Jägermeister will debut its Haus of Kühl experiential cultural platform in Nairobi on Saturday, September 26, 2026, taking over Sk8City at Diamond Plaza 2 from 6pm to 4am, the company said in a press release dated August 31, 2026. The event is positioned as the brand’s first entry into the East African market and will feature two South African acts—KMAT and MfanaTouchLine—alongside more than 36 Kenyan performers.

The company said Mariah and Sameer Bry will host the event, which is set to run across multiple stages and themed spaces. Jägermeister also listed Kenyan acts expected to appear, including singer Iyanah, dancers Ian Tico and Thee Iconic, and a DJ line-up that includes Basthma, Burugu, Calvin The Curator, Coco Kahi, DJ Lyta, DJ Mani, DJ Rayma, Hiribae, Jayeda, JM1, Kamz, Kaneda, Kiptala, Kurtiss E, Love, Mani, Monzo, Mura, Mtu Solo, Mr. Arkitech, N!k, Njeri wa Baaba & Santa Currie, Safari Oontz Collective, Selekta V, Selo, Shi, Sir M & Mista C, Suraj, The Vibe Initiator, Tinashe The DJ, Wembe Waves and Zhai.

The Nairobi edition expands a platform the company said it introduced in South Africa in 2023, with previous editions held across Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. The launch in Kenya comes as global beverage brands increasingly invest in live events and experiential marketing to build consumer engagement, a trend that has helped grow Nairobi’s nightlife economy and demand for event production, venue operations, security and creative services.

Ephraim Manana Snr, Culture & Experiential Marketing Manager at Jägermeister, said the company viewed Nairobi as a key creative market. “As a Culture Brand, bringing Haus of Kühl to Nairobi for the first time is an exciting milestone for us because Nairobi is a city with such a powerful and constantly evolving creative pulse,” Manana said. He added that the concept aims to extend beyond music by incorporating “music and dance to fashion, art, discovery and community.”

According to the press release, programming will be split across a Main Stage, a Dance Stage focused on underground sounds, and a Silent Disco curated by Studio Can-V featuring emerging DJs through head-to-head battles. The company also outlined additional areas, including a “Manifest Speakeasy” space offering tarot readings, a “Meister Market” streetwear pop-up featuring brands Pesos and HAGT, and a gaming zone with activities such as giant Jenga and console games.

The company said the event will also include a “Safe Now Zone,” described as a wellbeing and support area for guests to “pause, hydrate, recharge and access support from the event team when needed,” framing it as part of responsible enjoyment measures.

For Kenya’s creative economy, the arrival of a structured international brand platform signals potential for more cross-border bookings, higher production budgets and new commercial opportunities for local DJs, dancers, fashion labels and visual artists. It may also increase competition among venues and promoters as brands shift spend toward owned events with tightly curated line-ups and on-site merchandising.

Jägermeister said tickets are available via Hustle Sasa. The company has not disclosed ticket prices, expected attendance, or local partners involved in event delivery in the press release. The next milestone will be the release of additional operational details—such as gates and security arrangements—and confirmation of the full performance schedule ahead of the September 26 date.

CFAO Mobility Kenya on 17 August 2026 hosted Mercedes-Benz customers and partners in Nairobi to mark 140 years since the company traces the origins of the modern motor car, alongside the local unveiling of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class at Muthaiga Golf & Country Club.

According to CFAO Mobility Kenya, the event drew His Excellency Ambassador Sebastian Groth, Germany’s ambassador to Kenya, alongside business leaders, partners and automotive enthusiasts. The company said the anniversary milestone links back to 1886, when Carl Benz patented the Motorwagen.

The Nairobi event also served as Kenya’s stop on Mercedes-Benz’s global “140 Years. 140 Places” campaign, which the company said is taking three S-Class vehicles on a route spanning six continents. In the statement, CFAO Mobility Kenya said the vehicles are expected to travel more than 60,000 kilometres and visit 140 locations before the expedition returns to Stuttgart, Germany, in October 2026.

CFAO Mobility Kenya said the expedition had already visited more than 70 destinations, including European stops in Stuttgart, Brussels and Paris, routes through the Americas such as Buenos Aires, the Andes, New York and Miami, and multiple cities in China including Beijing, Jinan, Lianyungang, Suzhou and Shanghai. The company also listed additional stops across Asia and Southeast Asia, including Seoul, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Bhutan, as well as India.

For Kenya’s business landscape, the event underscores the continued focus by global automotive brands and their local distributors on the premium end of the market, as well as the importance of after-sales networks and customer service in sustaining demand. The stop also reflects the role of Nairobi as a regional hub for multinational brand activity and high-value consumer segments.

Arvinder Reel, Managing Director of CFAO Mobility Kenya, told attendees the anniversary was intended to highlight the brand’s history and ongoing evolution. “Tonight is not simply about celebrating a number, it is about celebrating legacy. A legacy that began in 1886, when Carl Benz patented the Motorwagen and fundamentally changed the way the world moves,” Reel said, according to the press release. He added that Mercedes-Benz’s 140-year journey demonstrated the importance of continually challenging what is possible in mobility.

Idrissa Diagne, General Manager for Mercedes Benz at CFAO Mobility Kenya, said the distributor would continue bringing new models and technologies to the market. “Together with our customers, enthusiasts, and communities, we are celebrating a historic milestone that honors the brand's enduring legacy of innovation, engineering excellence, and pioneering spirit,” Diagne said. “As the authorised Mercedes-Benz distributor in Kenya, we remain committed to bringing our customers the latest advancements in safety, performance, connectivity, and luxury,” he added.

CFAO Mobility Kenya linked the event to its corporate history in Kenya, noting that its predecessor DT Dobie has represented Mercedes-Benz in the country since 1949. The company added that after the 2023 integration of CFAO Motors (formerly Toyota Kenya) and DT Dobie, the businesses now operate under CFAO Mobility Kenya Limited.

The company said the local product highlight was the unveiling of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class. While CFAO Mobility Kenya did not disclose pricing or specifications for the Kenyan market in the statement, it positioned the model as Mercedes-Benz’s flagship platform for introducing innovations that later influence the wider automotive industry.

CFAO Mobility Kenya said its current Mercedes-Benz line-up in Kenya includes the C-Class, E-Class and S-Class saloons; GLC, GLE, GLS and G-Class SUVs; and Vito, V-Class and Sprinter vans.

Looking ahead, the next milestone for the wider campaign is the expedition’s return to Stuttgart in October 2026, after completing the remaining locations on its 140-stop route. Locally, the launch signals CFAO Mobility Kenya’s continued effort to refresh its premium portfolio while leaning on its after-sales footprint as a differentiator in Kenya’s competitive vehicle distribution market.

Spotify has concluded its 12-day Greasy Tunes Nairobi programme, held from 15 to 26 July at Heltz House in Nairobi, after two weeks of events spanning food, fashion, podcasts, workshops, live performances and a closing party. The audio streaming company said the activation was designed as a physical gathering space for young listeners, artists and creative communities, using its own listening data to shape the schedule.

In a media statement dated 28 July 2026, Spotify said its internal June 2026 listening data for Nairobi showed users aged 18 to 24 accounted for 53.7% of music streams, which it described as the highest Gen Z share among Nairobi, Lagos and Johannesburg. The company added that listening in Nairobi peaked at 18:00 and that its “evening and unwind” window represented 30.5% of daily listening among its 18–24 audience. Spotify also reported that “dinner-adjacent hours” from 18:00 to 21:00 made up 20.9% of daily music listening for the same age group, generating 25.3 million streams, according to the statement.

The programme’s first week was themed “Starters” and, according to Spotify, aimed to illustrate how music intersects with broader urban culture in Nairobi, including food, fashion, podcasts, faith and sport. Activities included a Greasy Tunes Café and Hotspot set-up intended as a daytime hub, a “Kitchen Opening Party with The BAG,” and “Karibu Night,” hosted by Studio 18, which Spotify linked to its “Made In Kenya” playlist.

Spotify said “Karibu Night” combined music and fashion, with Studio 18 designing a Greasy Tunes jersey and scarf and designers from its community styling the items. The company also said artists associated with the “Made In Kenya” playlist were present, including Buruklyn Boyz. Spotify added that during the programme it changed the “Made In Kenya” playlist cover daily to reflect artists connected to each day’s events, featuring Buruklyn Boyz on day two and Coster Ojwang on day three, according to the statement.

Podcast-led sessions also featured in week one, including a Culture Club recording with Eric Musyoka and The 30% Podcast. Spotify said its Kenya-wide podcast data for 18–24 listeners showed Arts, Society & Culture and Comedy among leading categories, which it framed as consistent with the event’s emphasis on conversation-driven formats.

“Greasy Tunes brings the energy people experience on Spotify into a shared physical space. The programme reflects how music already connects Nairobi’s young listeners, whether through food, conversation, creativity or community,” said Agnes Opondo, Artists & Labels Partnerships Lead, Spotify East Africa, in the statement.

The second week, themed “The Mains” and running from 20 to 26 July, expanded into poetry, workshops, comedy and fan-focused events, according to Spotify. The company listed sessions including “Gufy’s Room: Poetry, Music & Storytelling,” a “Blueprint Workshop with Kasi Flavour,” a Studio 18 pop-up, a premium fan event with Nyashinski, an EQUAL workshop and showcase with Ongeza Volume, The Standup Collective, Fresh Finds/Nakili Sessions, a MIC Chequ podcast recording, “Brunch with Citizen Digital,” and a “Strictly Soul Closing Party.”

For Kenya’s music and creator economy, the programme signals intensifying competition among global platforms to deepen local cultural relevance beyond digital distribution. Offline activations that link streaming behaviour to live, community-led programming can strengthen artist discovery pipelines, expand partnerships with local media and creative collectives, and support monetisation opportunities around events, merchandise and brand collaborations, even as the underlying market remains sensitive to disposable incomes and data costs.

Spotify said the programme’s continuation would be reflected through its “Made in Kenya” editorial playlist, which it described as focused on Kenyan music. The company did not disclose attendance figures, budgets or commercial partnerships for the Nairobi activation in the statement.

Spotify hosted Karibu Night, a fashion-and-music event held at Heltz House in Nairobi on July 17, 2026, as part of day two of its 12-day Greasy Tunes programme. The event, hosted by Studio 18, featured a fashion showcase built around official Greasy Tunes merchandise and live performances by 10 Kenyan artists, according to a statement from Spotify.

The showcase was anchored on two merchandise items—an official Greasy Tunes jersey and scarf—designed by Studio 18. Spotify said designers within Studio 18 styled and reinterpreted the pieces into multiple looks inspired by the sounds and cultural references associated with Spotify’s Made In Kenya editorial playlist.

The activation forms part of Spotify’s wider push to connect streaming activity with offline cultural programming in Nairobi’s creative economy, where music, fashion, and live events increasingly overlap. For Kenyan businesses in entertainment, events, and consumer branding, such partnerships signal growing commercial opportunities around youth-focused experiences, merchandising, and artist discovery pipelines.

Spotify attributed the concept to performance trends among younger listeners. The company said Afropop listening grew 21% year-on-year among Kenya’s 18–24 listeners, and that 40% of Made In Kenya playlist listeners fall within the 18–24 age group. Spotify also said its June 2026 listening data showed that 18–24 listeners account for 53.7% of all streams in Nairobi, which it described as the highest Gen Z share among Nairobi, Lagos and Johannesburg.

“Made In Kenya is not just a playlist, it is a reflection of how Kenyan youth are shaping culture in real time,” said Bea Theron, Experiential Marketing lead for Spotify in Africa. “For Greasy Tunes, we wanted to take that energy beyond streaming and create moments where music could meet the other creative worlds it naturally lives alongside, including fashion. Karibu Night showed how strongly music, style and youth culture are connected in Nairobi.”

Studio 18 said it designed the merchandise to extend beyond a single night, as brands increasingly treat limited-run apparel as both marketing and a revenue line in the creative sector. “The jersey and scarf were designed as pieces that could live beyond a single event,” said Brandon Zamani, Studio 18 co-Founder. “For Karibu Night, it was exciting to see different designers within Studio 18 take those pieces and reinterpret them through their own creative language.”

The event’s performance lineup included BURUKLYN BOYZ, Sukuma, Afrikun, Solo, Angelo, Coco Kahi, Dauudi O., Love, Mani, Nig.Wav and Ojizzo, according to the statement. Spotify said BURUKLYN BOYZ featured on the Made In Kenya playlist cover on day two to align with their Karibu Night performance, and that the playlist cover changes daily during Greasy Tunes to spotlight artists connected to each day’s events.

Greasy Tunes runs over 12 days and includes 20 events hosted with 12 communities and partners, spanning food and music as well as podcasts, comedy, sport, fashion and other live programming, Spotify said. For Kenya’s creative and hospitality sectors, the schedule reflects the increasing role of multi-venue programming in driving foot traffic and building creator-led communities that can attract brand partnerships.

Spotify did not disclose financial details for the programme. The company said additional Greasy Tunes events would continue across the remaining days, with the Made In Kenya playlist continuing to rotate its cover to reflect participating artists.

Spotify has opened the Greasy Tunes Café Kitchen in Nairobi in partnership with The BAG, marking the start of a 12-day pop-up that runs from July 15 to July 26 at Heltz House, the company said in a media statement dated July 16, 2026.

According to Spotify, the Nairobi activation is the third edition of Greasy Tunes after Johannesburg in 2023 and Lagos in 2025. The company said the concept is built around curated food and community-led programming that links music discovery with local cultural experiences.

The opening night was co-led by The BAG, which Spotify described as a Nairobi events and nightlife platform. Spotify said the launch was designed around how young Nairobi residents gather “around food, sound, conversation and community,” with street food culture positioned as a central theme.

Spotify said the café kitchen was created in partnership with Jikoni Studio Nairobi, and that the menu was developed “alongside local Kenyan chefs.” The company added that the food offering is intended to reflect Kenyan street food culture within a venue built for music and community programming.

The programme includes collaborations with local creative communities and event brands, including Studio 18, The BAG, BluePrint, Fishermans Experience, Bambika TV, Assembly, Ongeza Volume, Standup Collective, Nakili Session and Strictly Soul. Spotify said the calendar will also feature two live podcast recordings from Mic Cheque Podcast and 30 Percent Podcast.

Spotify said its internal listening data informs the concept’s focus on food-related moments. “Spotify listening data from June 2026 shows that for Nairobi listeners aged 18 to 24, the dinner-adjacent window between 6pm and 9pm is the largest food-related listening period in the dataset, accounting for 20.9% of all daily Gen Z music listening in the city,” the company said.

Agnes Opondo, Artist and Label Partnerships, East Africa at Spotify, said the data points to a blended local-and-global listening pattern among young users. “What stands out in this data is not just that Kenyan artists dominate the dinner playlist, but that they sit naturally alongside names like Dave, Tems and Drake. That tells you something about how young Nairobians experience music. They are not choosing between local and global. They are moving between both in the same evening, and Kenyan artists are holding their own in that mix. For anyone working with East African talent, that is a powerful signal,” Ms Opondo said.

Spotify also disclosed that Kenyan artists appear on seven of the top ten tracks streamed by Nairobi’s 18–24 listeners during the 6pm to 9pm window, led by Ywaya Tajiri, and including Wakadinali, Mutoriah, Toxic Lyrikali, Sauti Sol and Njerae. The company added that regional collaboration also featured in the same listening mix, citing Alikiba and Bien, alongside international acts.

For Kenya’s creative economy, the activation signals continued competition among global platforms for mindshare in local music and youth culture—an audience segment that is increasingly central to marketing budgets across telecommunications, consumer goods, hospitality and live entertainment. Pop-up experiences that blend music, food and community events also reflect a wider trend among brands seeking offline engagement to complement digital consumption, particularly in Nairobi’s nightlife and events sector.

Spotify said it is working with 12 communities and partners to host 20 events over the 12 days, spanning “food and music to podcasts, comedy, sport, fashion and live cultural programming.” The company did not disclose financial terms or expected attendance figures.

The pop-up is scheduled to conclude on July 26, with Spotify indicating that Greasy Tunes is positioned as a multi-city series, following previous editions in South Africa and Nigeria.

Jubilee Health Insurance is expanding an instalment-based premium payment model in Nairobi to increase access to private health insurance among uninsured and underinsured Kenyans, the company said on Friday, 3 July 2026.

The insurer said the scale-up is informed by customer feedback indicating that while many people value health cover, they struggle to pay annual lump-sum premiums. Under the “Linda Afya Leo – Lipa Pole Pole” model, customers can activate cover from the first payment and spread premiums over up to 10 monthly instalments, according to the company.

The campaign targets individuals, families, first-time insurance buyers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with between three and 50 employees. Jubilee said plans start from KES 3,256 per month, offering KES 200,000 inpatient cover and KES 40,000 outpatient cover, while higher-tier options provide up to KES 10 million in inpatient cover.

The rollout comes as Kenya continues to prioritise universal health coverage and financial inclusion, with insurers and regulators increasingly focused on models that reduce the upfront cost of joining insurance schemes—particularly for households that earn irregular incomes or face competing expenses.

Jubilee Health Insurance Chief Executive Officer Njeri Jomo said affordability and enrolment barriers have continued to limit private health insurance penetration, with lump-sum annual premiums cited as a key constraint for many households.

“Many Kenyans remain uninsured not because they do not value health insurance, but because cover is often seen as expensive and complex,” Ms. Jomo said. She added that the company’s intention is to simplify how customers access cover: “This is about much more than changing how customers pay. It’s about changing how customers access health insurance.”

The Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) said payment approaches that reflect how consumers manage cash flow could support broader uptake. IRA Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Godfrey Kiptum said solutions geared toward informal sector workers and underserved households are important to improving penetration and confidence in insurance.

“Improving insurance penetration requires solutions that respond to the realities of consumer cash flow, especially among informal sector workers and underserved households,” Mr Kiptum said. “Approaches that support affordability, accessibility and consumer understanding are important in broadening inclusion and strengthening confidence in insurance.”

Jubilee said the Nairobi campaign will be delivered through a community outreach effort dubbed “Afya Mtaani,” with health advisors engaging residents directly before the model is expanded to other regions. For the market, the move underscores a wider shift by insurers toward product structures and distribution channels that reduce friction in onboarding—combining digital enrolment with on-the-ground sales and education to address low awareness and trust barriers.

The company said the initiative forms part of its growth strategy in health insurance and supports its target of covering one million lives by the end of 2027.

Jubilee Health Insurance is a subsidiary of Jubilee Holdings Limited.

Nigerian singer-songwriter Yemi Alade and Kenyan artist Bien have released the music video for their joint single “Don’t Be Shy”, with the visuals shot in Nairobi, Kenya, according to a press release dated July 3, 2026. The release was issued via Effyzzie Music and positions the song as the lead single from Alade’s forthcoming album, “It’s Yemi Alade”, which the statement says is scheduled for release later this year.

The Nairobi location places Kenya at the centre of a cross-border music collaboration that links West and East African markets at a time when streaming platforms and pan-African distribution are increasingly shaping revenue flows for artists, labels and video production teams. While the press release did not disclose production budgets, platform performance targets or commercial terms, it said the video was directed by Ovie and filmed in Nairobi.

In the statement, the organisers described “Don’t Be Shy” as blending Afro-R&B and Kompa, and said the video is set “within a stylish, warmly lit indoor space”. The announcement also framed the release as an early introduction to Alade’s next project, describing “It’s Yemi Alade” as her 11th music project.

Yemi Alade said the collaboration built on her long-standing creative relationship with Bien. “I have always loved the soulfulness of Bien’s music and working with him on this record was so easy,” Yemi Alade said in the press release. “Music has always been about emotion and connection for me. And I feel like in ‘Don’t Be Shy’ we are both being playful, confident and honest, in expressing feelings when you’re into someone.”

Bien, who is also a founding member of Kenyan band Sauti Sol, said the collaboration was driven by a natural creative fit. “Working with Yemi was an incredible experience because the energy felt natural from the beginning,” Bien said, according to the statement. “’Don’t Be Shy’ is about confidence, chemistry and enjoying the moment.”

The press release traces the artists’ previous collaborations to Yemi Alade and Sauti Sol’s track “Africa”, followed by other creative exchanges, including a Swahili version of “Nagode” and Yemi Alade’s contribution to a remix project connected to Bien’s “All My Enemies Are Suffering”. The statement positions the new single as a continuation of that relationship.

For Kenya’s music business, Nairobi being selected as a shoot location is significant for the local creative economy, including film crews, studios, stylists, set builders and location service providers, whose work increasingly feeds into pan-African releases. Cross-regional collaborations also tend to widen an artist’s addressable audience, which can influence touring demand, brand partnerships and catalogue streaming—although no such commercial projections were provided in the release.

The statement also notes the album is expected to arrive “ahead of a major showcase in Paris, France,” suggesting international promotional activity around the broader project. No dates for the album release or the Paris showcase were disclosed.

Next milestones are likely to include additional singles ahead of the album rollout, as well as potential performance and media appearances tied to the Paris event referenced in the statement. Effyzzie Music and Anyiko PR were listed as points of contact for management and media inquiries, respectively.

Jubilee Group and the Grand Nairobi Bike Race (GNBR) on June 20, 2026 launched the sixth edition of the Jubilee Live Free Race, with organisers announcing a new venue at Uhuru Gardens and a redesigned route along Nairobi’s Southern Bypass ahead of the September 27, 2026 event.

According to the organisers, the 2026 race is expected to attract more than 5,500 participants, up from 3,387 last year, reflecting what they described as growing interest from cycling clubs, corporate teams, recreational riders and first-time participants.

The event’s main 72km category will also shift to a two-lap format, reducing the number of loops required to complete the distance. Jubilee Group said it will provide title sponsorship of KES 25 million (KES 25 million), up from KES 20 million (KES 20 million) last year.

The Jubilee Live Free Race has become one of a growing number of mass-participation sporting events in Kenya that blend wellness, corporate participation and community initiatives. For Nairobi, the move to a Southern Bypass route signals a continued push by organisers to use major road infrastructure for closed-course sports events, which typically require coordination with traffic authorities and medical providers.

Caroline Ndungu, Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Jubilee Insurance, said the event has expanded beyond competition into a broader cycling platform.

“We have witnessed the evolution of Jubilee Live Free Race into a powerful movement that promotes cycling and community engagement across East Africa,” Ndungu said. She added that the partnership is intended to support “meaningful conversations around investment, healthy living, and overall wellbeing,” according to the press release.

Desmond Momanyi, Grand Nairobi Bike Race Director, linked the event’s growth to changing mobility and lifestyle habits.

“The future of cycling in Kenya is incredibly exciting. What we are seeing today is the foundation of a movement that can transform how people think about sport, wellness and mobility,” Momanyi said. “Cycling is becoming part of how people live, commute and connect, the Jubilee Live Free Race continues to provide a platform that reflects that evolution.”

The organisers said the race will include multiple categories: a 72km main race and team race; a 36km para-cycling and Black Mamba category; a 20km family fun ride; and a 2km kiddies race. They said the structure is designed to allow participation across age groups and ability levels.

On safety and logistics, the organisers said the event will provide on-course support that includes medical response teams, mobile bike repair units, hydration points and full-route marshalling, alongside coordinated traffic management.

The press release also stated that each registered participant will receive outpatient medical cover for race-related injuries as part of the entry package, funded through a KES 50 allocation from the registration fee, with dedicated medical support available throughout the event.

A prize pool of KES 4 million (KES 4 million) will be awarded to winners across competitive categories, organisers said.

Beyond race day, the organisers said the platform supports community initiatives including the provision of prosthetic limbs for children with amputations and “food tower initiatives” in community schools, as well as programmes tied to health and investment solutions.

Registration is open, and organisers expect early uptake as they plan for what they said will be the largest edition to date. Key next steps will include final route logistics, safety planning, and coordination with relevant public agencies ahead of the September event.

Blankets & Wine, a Nairobi-founded live music festival produced by GoodTimes Africa, opened its 2026 season on Sunday, June 7, 2026, with a June edition held at Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi, according to a press release dated June 8. Organisers said the event ran across two performance areas—the Main Stage inside the arena and the Onja Onja Stage at The Annex—alongside an outdoor Onja Onja Market for vendors.

The June edition featured Kenyan and African performers, including Labdi, Mordecai Dex, Mejja, Serro, Mutoriah and Watendawili, with Nigerian artist Fave also on the lineup, the organisers said. The Onja Onja Stage hosted electronic and DJ sets featuring DJADE, DJ Paps, Sir M, Kaneda, One Down, DJ IV, Goldmax, Suraj, LA Dave and Hiribae, among others.

The event forms part of Blankets & Wine’s 17th year of operation. The festival was founded in Nairobi in 2008 by Muthoni Ndonga and has staged editions in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and the UK, according to the same statement.

Organisers said the Main Stage programme opened with Labdi, followed by performances by Mordecai Dex and Serro. The festival said Fave performed a set during the event, while Mejja and Mutoriah appeared later on the bill. Watendawili closed the night, with the organisers citing surprise guest appearances by Charisma and Xeniah Manasseh during the set.

On the Onja Onja Stage, the organisers said DJADE opened before DJ Paps, with a back-to-back set from Sir M and Kaneda and additional performances by One Down and DJ IV. The statement also cited a performance by South African artist Goldmax, and said the stage ended with a joint set by Suraj, LA Dave and Hiribae.

The June edition also served as the rollout of the festival’s year-long platform dubbed “Your Taste Lives Here,” which the organisers described as a cultural programme focused on Kenyan music, food, fashion and community experiences.

“Every edition of Blankets & Wine begins with a simple question: what does it mean to gather meaningfully in this moment?” said Muthoni Ndonga, Founder and Creative Director. “This June, we introduced some bold changes and our audience once again reminded us that the true power of the festival lies in intentional gathering, shared experiences and the sense of community that continues to define and shape Blankets & Wine.”

The festival said the Onja Onja Market, located outdoors next to the Onja Onja Stage, brought together food vendors, fashion brands and creative entrepreneurs. “We are grateful to everyone who explored The Onja Onja Market, it was exciting to see audiences discovering, supporting and engaging with local brands,” said Michelle Njeri, Brand Manager.

For Kenya’s entertainment and events economy, large-format festivals like Blankets & Wine create business for event production, venue operations, hospitality, transport, and micro and small enterprises that sell food, beverages, fashion and merchandise on-site. The Onja Onja Market segment signals continued interest in festival-linked retail opportunities, where independent brands access concentrated footfall and brand visibility.

GoodTimes Africa said upcoming editions are scheduled for September 6 and December 20, 2026.