AS RWANDA continues to host significant gatherings, conferences, festivals and summits, Kivu Fest, one of the best beach parties in the country that attracts revellers from different regions, is making its return to the tourism calendar. This year’s edition is slated for July 2-3 in Rubavu District at Kivu Lake Beach, after an almost three-year hiatus due to the outbreak of Covid-19. Widely described as the trendiest and most popular lake side party in Rwanda, this year’s edition will be headlined by South African rapper, Costa Titch, who is trending after his recent song dubbed ‘Big Flexa’ hit number one on Billboard Africa. The event was last held in 2019 with Major Lazer’s Walshy Fire as the main headliner of the show, alongside Fully Focus and local disc jockeys Toxxyk, Marnaud, K’ru, Pyfo among many others. Kivu Fest is organised by Intore Ent, a local event management company that recently brought Uncle Waffles, Rema and Omah Lay to Kigali. Speaking to The New Times, Bruce Intore, the brains behind the annual event, says, “We realised that many concerts are held in Kigali, and decided to take our party upcountry so that people from different areas benefit from what we do in the entertainment industry,” adding, “Kivu Fest takes place in July to allow tourists who are in Rwanda for the summer holiday experience a beach party in the land of a thousand hills.” Taking the event to Rubavu District, Intore says, is also because he wanted to diversify the tourism experience in Rwanda by appealing to domestic tourists as well as regional and international, and by creating an event that takes people to Gisenyi, or gives them a reason to stay in the city a little longer. For those who live in Rwanda, Intore says that the aim of the event is to help them develop a culture of leaving Kigali and relax out of town. “When you go out of town and enjoy yourself responsibly, you come back refreshed. This is to allow our Kigalians to travel and enjoy while listening to good music,” he explains. Other headliners and more information about the event will be communicated soon, Intore says.
