Thousands of music lovers filled Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Saturday night where Nigerian Afrobeats star Ruger made his debut performance in Malawi.
The Landlord Pa Kwao, a concert hosted by local musician Gwamba, attracted fans from all walks of life with the stadium’s pitch packed as audiences gathered to witness the Nigerian star.
By 7:30 pm, traffic had built up around the stadium, with long queues of vehicles and pedestrians making their way through the entrances.
This forced organisers to close the standard ticket entrance to control the flow of people, resulting in congestion along the highway leading to the venue.
Before Ruger took to the stage, fans were treated to performances by a host of local artists who kept the atmosphere lively throughout the cold night.
Among those who performed were Chizmo, Zonke, Loiso, Miracle Chinga, Aidfest and Kineo, whose sets kept fans entertained.
The line-up also featured Charisma, Teddy Makadi, Saint, Eli Njuchi and Kell Kay, who received loud cheers from the crowd before the headline acts.
Despite the well-organised production, the event also experienced security challenges after some people reportedly forced their way into the venue without buying tickets.
The unauthorised entry led to overcrowding on the pitch with the situation becoming more noticeable as the night progressed.
By the time Gwamba stepped onto the stage, the VIP section had become overcrowded after some people from the standard section crossed into the restricted area, creating commotion.
Security personnel tried to restore order as performances continued, allowing the programme to proceed without interruption although their efforts yielded little as the crowd pushed back.
Ruger was on stage at around 2:30am and received a thunderous welcome from the crowd that had waited hours for his performance.
Performing under tight security, the Nigerian star delivered some of his biggest hits, including Asiwaju, Bounce, Girlfriend, Red Flags and Wewe, with thousands of fans singing along to every song.
Zeze Kingston brought the concert to a close, entertaining the remaining revellers until dawn.
