Uganda: Nyege Nyege returns to the Nile for 11th edition with Wakaliwood collaboration

The festival will feature more than 200 artists across seven stages and will be centred on a collaboration with Wakaliwood, Uganda’s independent film movement based in Wakaliga, Kampala.

Dubbed ‘The Wakaliwood Edition’, the festival will incorporate filmmaking into its programme, with scenes for a new film to be shot during the four-day event. Artists, performers and festivalgoers will have the opportunity to participate in the production, while parts of the festival site will be used as a live film set.

Nyege Nyege co-founder Derek Debru said the collaboration reflected similarities between the festival and Wakaliwood’s approach to independent cultural production.

“After ten editions, we wanted to enter the next chapter by doing something that could only happen here. Nyege Nyege and Wakaliwood share a similar spirit: creating with what you have, building your own world and then finding ways of sharing that world far beyond Uganda,” Debru said.

“This year those two universes come together. The festival becomes part music festival, part movie set, part playground, with the Nile running through the middle of it all.”

Music will remain central to the festival, with the programme bringing together artists and scenes from Uganda, East Africa and elsewhere on the continent, alongside international acts. Genres and formats will include electronic music, live bands, traditional forms, club sounds and experimental music.

The festival will also bring back its Dub & Reggae Stage and feature dedicated takeovers focused on music scenes from Kenya and Rwanda. The first wave of artists and the full stage programme are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Talent Africa Group chief executive Aly Allibhai said the 2026 edition would combine music with other parts of Uganda’s creative and tourism industries.

“We are excited to officially announce the return of Nyege Nyege Festival for its 11th edition. This year we are building an even broader festival experience, bringing together music, tourism, adventure, film, fashion and Uganda’s creative industries,” Allibhai said.

“Returning to Kalagala Falls gives us an extraordinary setting to welcome Uganda, East Africa and the world back to the banks of the Nile.”

The festival will return to Kalagala Falls for a second consecutive year after holding its 10th anniversary edition at the site in 2025. Organisers said changes for 2026 will include improvements to entrances, parking, movement around the venue and accommodation.

An expanded camping village will accommodate about 1,000 people, while Adrift River Club will be incorporated into the festival site for the first time. Visitors will also have access to adventure activities on and around the Nile.

In partnership with Explore Uganda, the national tourism brand of the Uganda Tourism Board, the festival will offer tourism experiences and packages aimed at connecting visitors with destinations and cultural and adventure activities across the country.

The programme will also include an AFCON-themed experience alongside the music and cultural activities.

The SO UG Stage, powered by Uganda Waragi, will return with a programme focused on contemporary Ugandan music and popular culture. Announced participants include King Saha, Sheila Gashumba, Etania – The Life of the Party, Linus, Abeeka Band and Jackie Chandiru. Comedy, fashion, visual art and interactive activities will also feature on the stage.

Boiler Room will also return to the festival in 2026, with its programme set to connect Ugandan and African artists with its international audience. Further details are expected as part of the wider lineup announcement.

Before the festival, Nyege Nyege will host the second edition of the African Electronic Music Conference (AEMC) from 17 to 19 November.

The conference will bring together artists, collectives, labels, promoters and cultural organisations from Africa and its diaspora. Discussions will focus on touring and mobility, artist development, creative infrastructure, collaboration and the development of Africa’s independent music ecosystem.

AEMC was launched in 2025 alongside the festival and is being developed as a year-round platform for connecting artists, clubs, organisations and music scenes involved in electronic and alternative music across the continent.

Nyege Nyege was established in Kampala in 2015 and has since developed into an international festival focused on music and culture from Uganda and across Africa. Its 11th edition will expand its programme to include film, tourism, fashion and other creative disciplines alongside its established music programme.

Further announcements on the artist lineup, stages, tickets, camping, tourism packages and travel information are expected ahead of the festival.