Nakuru’s entertainment scene is gradually gaining momentum, with more major events being hosted in the city, established artists taking to local stages and audiences increasingly turning up for entertainment experiences, some of which have sold out.

As the scene continues to grow, event organizers and entertainment players are also finding ways to work together rather than compete for the same audience.

Through joint events and shared platforms, organisers are creating new experiences while learning from one another on how to improve event planning and audience engagement.

In recent months, collaborations have become more visible, with The Re-union Oldskool Bongo vs Kenya and RnB Soljaz recently hosting a joint event at Space Next Door and with Oldies & Sol last year. Similarly, Groove Back Sessions, curated by Freshy, has collaborated with Bennito Salsa to bring different entertainment experiences to audiences in Nakuru.

These partnerships reflect a growing recognition among local organisers that working together could help strengthen the entertainment industry, especially in a market where audiences often overlap.

The curator of Oldskool Bongo vs Kenya, Sammy Gito says collaboration is important because most entertainment brands in Nakuru target a largely shared audience, with fans often knowing one another and attending different events across the city.

“The Nakuru market is the same, and the fans are friends, so the audience is almost the same for the event organisers,” he says.

According to Gito, the joint event between Oldskool Bongo and RnB Soljaz was an opportunity to bring audiences together under one roof and offer them a shared experience.

“For the joint event we hosted with RnB Soljaz, it was to give our audience one experience under one roof. These collaborations are important because we get to receive feedback from the audience,” he says.

Beyond bringing people together, such partnerships also give organisers an opportunity to assess their events, understand audience expectations and identify areas that need improvement. By sharing experiences and working together, they can learn what works, what needs to change and how to make future events more appealing.

Moreover, collaboration allows entertainment players to explore different formats and audiences while building relationships that could create more opportunities for the industry.

Gito says he hopes the collaborations will continue, noting that sustained partnerships could contribute to a stronger and more vibrant entertainment scene in Nakuru.

As the city’s entertainment calendar continues to expand, the willingness of organisers to work together could become an important factor in building audience confidence, improving event experiences and giving residents more reasons to support local entertainment.

muthoniw813@gmail.com

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Muthoni Wanjiku