The 13th edition of Shoko Festival, Zimbabwe’s longest-running festival of urban culture kicks off today with a catalogue of exciting activities lined up.
Taking place in Harare and Chitungwiza, from the 28th to the 30th of September, the festival will be running under the theme The TakeBack. This is a call for young Zimbabweans to reclaim their space and their art to create a better future for all.
Below is a roundup of events taking place during the course of Shoko Festival this week.
Hub Unconference (28 – 29 September)
Moto Republik (Harare) – Shoko Festival’s annual platform for thought-provoking conversations will be running from 9 am – 4 pm across the 2 days, with discussions ranging from AI to Social Movements revolutionizing Social Media and Rural Media Innovation. There will also be a variety of Masterclasses conducted, including Graphics Design and Photography.
Shoko Thursday Night
Moto Republik (Harare) – Shoko Festival’s Thursday night will kick off with a free-to-attend augmented reality exhibition running from 5 pm – 6 pm, titled #ZimbabweanLivesMatter. From 6:15 pm a combination of several running events will kick off, which include the Voice2Rep – Intetho, Women’s Cypher, solo performances from Young Gemini and Xabiso Vili, Bluffhill Jams and Mash Up Night to end proceedings. A ticket will be going for $5 for the combination of events.
Shoko Friday Night
Moto Republik (Harare) – Shoko Festival’s Friday night will have two free-to-attend events: Poetree Slam with Xabiso Vili: Taking back our future, and Gaming Hub x Otakukon which will have cosplay and gaming.
The Roast of Kuda Musasiwa (Begottensun)
Reps Theatre (Harare) – In collaboration with Simuka Comedy, Shoko Festival will be hosting the roast of rising entrepreneur and Zimhiphop stalwart Kuda Musasiwa. Doc Vikela will be the roast master and the roast panel will feature Candace Mwakalyelye, R Peels, Ba Shupi and Babongile Sikhonjwa. Tickets will be $10 each.
Peace in the Hood
Unit L Community Hall Grounds (Chitungwiza) – The free-to-attend Peace in the Hood concert which has long been Shoko Festival’s closing event will feature a long lineup of artists, especially giving Zimhiphop’s rising names a platform. The headliners for the concert are going to be Gemma Griffiths, Nutty O, Hwinza Menternah, Bling4, Chikk’oz, Bagga, Mycole Biller, Tha Nu Vyb, and DJ Tashman.
