The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
THERE are just a few weeks to go before 2019 folds.
And as year-end draws nearer, so does the continent’s biggest New Year’s celebration – the Vic Falls Carnival.
The carnival will explode on December 29 and continue till the first day of 2020 in the resort town of Victoria Falls.
The organisers have turned the line-up a notch higher. Three more heavyweight artistes were announced last Thursday.
South African superstars AKA, Shekhinah and DJ Maphorisa have been added to the list of headliners set to usher carnival goers into the New Year.
These musicians need no introduction as they are at the top of the food chain in their respective genres.
While previous editions have been dominated by electronic music, this time around attendees will be treated to a variety of genres, with the recently announced acts bringing hip-hop, R&B and house to the table.
With more acts set to be added before the event kicks off, the line-up is looking solid as it already comprises of Prince Kaybee, Zafari, Sereetsi & The Natives, and Flying Bantu.
In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Mail Society, festival director Craig Bright said preparations for the event are on track. He is confident this is going to be yet another great edition.
“We have just announced some incredible African talent in the form of AKA, Shekhinah and DJ Maphorisa, who are massive headliners that bring diversity to the Vic Falls Carnival line-up this year,” said Bright, adding, “All these artistes are doing exceptionally well both in Africa and internationally. We want to celebrate that with the carnival audience. Bringing in US and UK acts is still in our plans but it really depends on artiste availability and their costings over this busy period but we are working hard to make it work out for the carnival.”
The carnival has also partnered MTV-Base Africa, a move that will bring more visibility to the event.
“For the first time, we have partnered with MTV-Base Africa as our official television partner, which opens up the carnival to the continent in terms of reach. Partnering with this solid music platform will take the carnival across Africa as we bring Africa’s biggest acts to Victoria Falls.
“The carnival is a destination festival where we celebrate during the day and night. We explore and experience the best of nature and wild Africa through incredible African music.”
While ticket sales have been moving at a steady pace, organisers are expecting a major spike following their recent artiste announcement.
Meanwhile, the Vic Falls Party Bus is back. It was not available last year.
The Vic Falls Party Bus is an on-road party experience that was created by multi-national start-up Enthuse Afrika as an entertaining, adventure-filled, safe and affordable ride to the Vic Falls Carnival.
In this adventure, patrons hop onto a luxury coach, which will have live DJ performances, a bar and refreshments as well as an electrifying itinerary that will spill into the carnival.
King Her and Tannie Swiss are set to provide entertainment on board.
Organisers are promising an exciting experience.
Besides the transport aspect, this platform kills several birds with one stone. lt offers perks that include carnival tickets, accommodation and to put icing on the cake, a boat party on the Zambezi River.
While this bus has only been available for Hararians in the past, this time around rides from Botswana and Zambia have also been added into the picture.
The brains behind the party bus, Stephanie Kapfunde, said this is the perfect holiday plan for people who want to step away from the norm and experience something refreshing.
“Zimbabwe has had a tough year and we would like to give our party-goers a chance to reset for a fresh one through the positively life-altering Vic Falls Party Bus experience,” said Kapfunde.
