- “We will be launching an online campaign where people will get the chance to suggest and create a local lineup”- Nkgakile
- Venue Changed to the National Stadium
- Next concert rumoured to feature Barbadian star Rihanna
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
Organizers of the Diamond City Concert which will host two of Nigeria’s musical heavyweights Wizkid and Burna Boy on 2nd December say they have decided that patrons must decide which local artist will make up the lineup.
Diamond City Concert Chief Organizer Bruce Nkgakile says as event organizers, they have often made the mistake of deciding the lineup by themselves and not including revelers in the decision-making process even when they are the ones attending the show.
“We need people’s feedback because at the end of the day, we make these shows for them. Therefore, we will be launching an online campaign where people will get the chance to suggest and create a local lineup,” Nkgakile said also adding that they would also like to include as many local acts as possible, as well as avoiding repeating the same local artists.
The Diamond City Concert would be the last festival featuring Nigerian acts this year and Nkgakile admitted that they are now starting to feel the pressure to perfect the logistics for the show. “Our show features two mega stars so you can imagine the pressure. Ticket sales are picking and we were forced to change venues to the National Stadium because the UB Stadium is small,” he said.
Further asked about their security measures now that they have moved to an even bigger venue, he said they would be launching their security plan for all to see. He noted that the GSS grounds would be used to park vehicles to reduce traffic and patrons would be shuttled to the stadium and that roads near the stadium will be closed to enable good control of traffic. “Security is a very important aspect of our event and we plan to go all out as safety is our priority. Even though tickets are selling fast we will not be selling more than the prescribed number for the venue,” he assured.
Explaining the event’s association with the city council, Nkgakile said their main objective was to sell Gaborone to the rest of the world and promote urban tourism therefore it made sense for them to partner as well as with the Embassy of Nigeria in Botswana. At a previous press conference, the embassy’s Charge d’ Affaires, Sunday Aibor, said everything with regards to visas for Wizkid and Burna Boy had been sorted and they have confirmed that they will be in Gaborone on December 2.
Ringo Madlingozi, Sjava and Freshly Grounds from South Africa will also be performing at the concert. In October this year, the 27-year-old Nigerian artist, Wizkid, made history by becoming the first African artist to headline a sold out show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK confirming that he is currently the Afrobeats genre’s main ambassador. Moreover, for the upcoming Diamond City Concert a source has disclosed that the organizers are in talks with Rihanna’s management.