Artists urged to submit for Gaborone festival

GIMC runs during the last week of August and into the first week of September and artists have been encouraged to submit their links and profiles before the 20 March submission deadline.

The annual festival was first held in 2014 and encompasses seven main events: jazz, choral, theatre, comedy, artist workshop, international festival and golf day. All these events take place daily at various venues throughout Gaborone.

GIMC founder and director Fish Pabalinga said the festival was aiming to host a bigger number of artists than previous editions.

“The primary target this year is to bring in a bit of a bigger diversity,” he said. "We have expanded our music section to provide a platform for as many African artists as possible. This year’s edition will see a total of 50 artists on the music side from the US, UK, Canada and Africa.”

In previous years, GIMC has seen such artists as Jonathan Butler, Black Coffee, Mafikizolo, Jah Prayzah, Judith Sephuma, Zahara, Mumba Yachi, Khuli Chana, DJ Fresh, Skizo, Ringo Madlingozi and Vee perform on its stages.

“We are hoping that we beat our 25 000 attendance from last year and reach a flat 30 000,” Pabalinga said. “From next year we are looking to open an online artist registration system well in time to allow for a bigger choice of artist. We are also looking to expand our choral and traditional sections."

GIMC will take place from 26 August to 2 September. Musicians can submit their links and profiles to [email protected] or visit the festival’s official website for more information.