Sand Music Festival goes to Mangochi

Sand Music Festival organisers have attributed the delay in announcing this year’s venue to challenges caused by rising water levels in Lake Malawi, which has forced them to abandon plans to host the event in Salima.

The festival, which returns this year from September 25 to 27 after a two-year break, will now take place at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi.

Lead coordinator Yamikani Chinguwo said they hoped to stage the festival in Salima, but most of the beaches they considered were no longer suitable.

“We faced a massive hiccup getting a venue as most beaches along the lakeshore in Salima have flooded. This made us go back to Nkopola in Mangochi,” he said.

The venue announcement comes five months after fans questioned  the silence surrounding preparations

Two weeks ago, the organisers indicated that some venue owners were reluctant to host the event.

Chinguwo, however, said preparations are on course and the artist lineup and other activities are expected to roll out soon.

“We will conclude the artists’ lineup by the first week of August. However, we will be announcing artists as we go,” he said.

He said festival-goers should expect a diverse entertainment lineup featuring Malawian artists alongside Afrobeats, dancehall and hip-hop acts, as well as major headline performers.

The festival has not taken place since the death of Impakt Events Management founder ‘Soldier’ Lucius Banda in June 2024.

Organisers announced its return earlier this year, saying the revival is aimed at preserving Banda’s legacy while continuing to provide a platform for local and international artists.

This also comes after Johnny Zembani Banda posted on his Facebook page that the Lucius Banda Foundation will host a tribute concert in honour of his father.

The Lucius Banda Tribute Concert is slated for August 22 at Balaka Stadium, his home district.

According to the statement, the concert will celebrate Lucius Banda’s life, music and enduring legacy by bringing together artists, fans and supporters for an afternoon of live performances, remembrance and celebration.

“The foundation warmly invites the public to attend and honour one of Malawi’s greatest musical icons. Individuals, organisations and businesses interested in sponsoring the event as well as artists wishing to perform, are encouraged to get in touch,” reads part of the statement.

Under his Zembani Music Company, Soldier mentored many musicians such as Mlaka Maliro, Lulu, Billy Kaunda, Wendy Harawa, Emma Masauko and Victor Paul.

He founded Impakt Events, another company which runs Sand Music Festival.

Banda succumbed to kidney complications on June 30 2024 at a hospital in South Africa where he was receiving treatment.

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