SandFest, Tumaini festivals clash

Two of the country’s big music festivals SandFest and Tumaini have clashed on dates when they will take place. But organisers of both events say they are not worried with the development.

The SandFest, a brainchild of Impakt Events owned by music legend Lucius Banda, takes place at Kabumba Hotel in Salima from November 1 to 3 while the Tumaini Festival will take place at its traditional venue at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa between November 1 and 2.

In separate interviews,  SandFest director Banda and Tumaini Festival founder Menes Le Plume  sounded positive, saying that the two events can take place independent of each other.

However, Le Plume accused SandFest organisers of not respecting festival dates as assigned by the government on the national events calendar. But he said he remained optimistic that the sixth edition of the Tumaini Festival will  hit the target they have set.

“Our Sand festival colleagues did not respect festival dates but, we are confident that we are going to attract more than 50 000 people,” he said.

Le Plume said the fact that entry to their festival is for free gives them an edge as those that will not afford a ticket to attend the SandFest in Salima will go to Dzaleka.

Speaking during a cocktail in Lilongwe over the weekend aimed at raising awareness and funding for the festival he said Tumaini is for free adding that even people with no money are free to attend.

But Banda dismissed the accusation, saying being a private entity, they are not bound by any guidelines from anyone since the planning of their event is guided by business interests above anything else.

“We are a direct commercial festival. We are a private and, independent establishment and therefore, not guided by any calendar from anywhere,” he said.

He said the two events will be happening 100 kilometres away from each other. Banda added: “They receive funding for their festival unlike us. So, maybe it is them who may have that luxury in scheduling.”