Arusha is widely known as the safari capital of Tanzania—and even all of East Africa. The vast majority of Tanzania’s safari tourists kick off their adventures from this town. The nature surrounding Arusha and across Northern Tanzania is breathtakingly beautiful and incredibly diverse. But Arusha has more to offer than just safari trails and acacia trees. The city is also the cradle of Tanzanian hip hop, having birthed rappers like Chaba, Mo Plus, and Fido Vato.
Still, I would describe Arusha’s music scene as relatively alternative—and to be honest, in my 2.5 years of living here, there hasn’t been an overwhelming amount of artistic or experimental happenings. That’s why I was thrilled when I first heard about Boogie in the Bush—an event promising to bring alternative artists and DJs from all across East Africa right here to Arusha.
The excitement was dampened a bit when the festival got postponed from last autumn to May. The new date felt risky, too—May is rainy season here, and pre-event promotion felt a little sluggish. This left some of us quietly wondering whether the festival would happen at all. But a couple of weeks before the big weekend, the communication picked up. Artists started posting about the event on social media, and that familiar spark of anticipation returned. My friend and I even created our own countdown game—each day we’d exchange songs from across the African continent that we hadn’t heard before. It definitely helped build the hype.
As the weekend crept closer, the skies seemed to pour daily reminders that rain was still in charge. Chilly winds and puddles didn’t exactly scream “festival time,” but thankfully, a few days before the event, the forecast started looking hopeful.
Boogie in the Bush was held at a well-known restaurant venue. At first, that felt a bit uninspired—this is a popular spot, especially famous for its pizzas, and I personally go there at least once every couple of weeks. It didn’t really give off those fresh, adventurous vibes. But the moment we drove down the bumpy dirt road and parked, and I opened the car door to the soft pulse of bass in the air, a warm feeling washed over me.
We entered the festival grounds via a bridge crossing a narrow canyon. This familiar bridge had been transformed with lights and simple wooden archways draped in fabric, transporting festivalgoers into a different world. The first impression was glowing—literally. The space had been turned into a colorful, hippie wonderland, full of UV lights, vibrant mushroom sculptures, and creative stage setups.
Friday night served as the opening, and only a handful of people were there—but everyone seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves. The area was small, but designed cleverly enough to capture an authentic festival vibe. Two stages, spaced far enough apart to allow for simultaneous music without clashing, delivered solid sound. With so few people around, one stage might have been enough—but most of the music lovers naturally gravitated toward the smaller stage, set in front of a majestic candelabra tree.
At one point, the music got so deep and immersive that one of our crew started musing about how many decades that candelabra tree had been standing there, and how now we got to dance beneath it. Somehow the environment made everything even more magical. The small crowd kept dancing well past midnight, and while some probably stayed until sunrise, we retreated to gather strength for Saturday— which felt like the festival’s “main day.”
After a slow morning, we headed back—this time with kids. Our 1-, 3-, and 6-year-olds were instantly captivated by how magical and different the familiar place looked. There were activities for children ranging from piñatas and bouncy castles to treasure hunts and painting. Big bonus points for the fact that kids under 13 got in free.
As a music nerd, it was also pure joy to watch my kids groove to live music—from Salum Matata on Saturday to Mama C and Warriors from the East on Sunday. Our 3- and 6-year-olds even busted out some spontaneous dance moves. The daytime vibe was incredibly family-friendly— I really hope they keep that going next time around.
Mama C’s performance, joined by various guests, was one highlight. As one of the founders of the Black Panthers movement, she brought deep charisma to the stage, delivering her spoken word with radiant positivity, backed by her band. Another standout was MC Sharon from Kenya, who was totally new to me but left a big impression. Rapping in Luo, she completely owned the stage and the crowd. Her fierce gaze and presence sent shivers from my toes to my scalp.
One thing that could’ve been improved, both during the day and night, was clearer guidance and scheduling. Even though the area was small, it was sometimes hard to figure out what was happening where, and when. As a self-proclaimed music nerd, I like knowing exactly whose set I’m vibing to—and this time I had to do a bit of detective work to identify the DJs behind the decks at any given hour.
Saturday clearly had a bigger turnout. Already during the day, more people were around than on Friday night, and the flow of arrivals seemed nonstop. When we left in the early evening to drop the kids home, the parking lot was bustling and the energy was electric—as if everyone was charging up for a night to remember. It felt like being a kid on the morning of your birthday, buzzing with curiosity about what surprises the day might hold.
Saturday night delivered. It centered beautifully around dance—both on stage and in the crowd—with the Abantu Group dancers leading the way and warming up the audience with their high-energy show. The night had a magical feel: meeting new people, munching on endless naan bread and delicious pickled treats from Khan’s BBQ, and dancing between the two stages to phenomenal DJ sets. The soundscape hovered somewhere between Afro house, Amapiano, and Gqom—perfect beats for a night under the shadow of Mt. Meru.
One of the absolute highlights of the entire weekend was the Sunday night set by Chrisman and Lebon BLS from the DRC. The Congolese crew brought something truly different amidst the rest of the weekend’s music. Chrisman’s production—rooted in electronic and experimental hip-hop beats—paired with Lebon’s incredibly tight flow felt fresh, bold, and confident. The set was so hypnotic that when it ended, you couldn’t help but wish it had gone on even longer. Highly recommended, dive into Chrisman’s music!
Besides music the festival also offered some side programme, like silent movie theater, Ethiopian coffee ceremony, paintings and visual arts, games etc. Some of the sideshow content was produced by The Alliance Française of Arusha, which is pretty active organizer for cultural content in Arusha.
All in all, Boogie in the Bush was an unforgettable experience in Arusha. I’m sure many are already hoping for its return in 2026. With these memories in our pockets, we wait. Until then—peace, love, and boogie!
Epilogue
Somewhere between Friday night and Sunday morning hours, in that fuzzy space where time stretches and blurs, one of us found herself staring in awe at the towering maize stalks beside the road leading home. The maze seemed absurdly tall, almost majestic in its late-night stillness. We had lost and found our keys countless times, driven back and forth between home and the festival, like listening to the taxi driver silently laughing at the situation.
At one point, someone mentioned that the price of one pizza from the venue could’ve bought fifteen naan breads from Khan’s BBQ. Who needs pizza when you can have a mountain of Khan’s naan?
Festival time was built from a hoodie that looked like it had been dipped in oil, grass tangled in our hair, energy evaluations, and birthday girls. In the end, on the dancefloor under the shadow of Mt. Meru with bass-heavy bangers shaking the ground, all those little moments melted into one glorious celebration.
And somewhere between the maize and the music, the whole moment became unforgettable magic.
Festival Attended and Documented by Cuberat of Music Review World
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