Sunbird Sand festival engages community
In a bid to promote high security and huge patronage from the surrounding communities, Sunbird Sand Music Festival has engaged communities from around Livingstonia Beach in Salima in the build-up to the success of the festival running from August 29 to 31.
According to the organisers, the community will support the security team and provide some traditional dances to the performers list.
Last year’s festival held at Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi was marred by some problems including low patronage by community members and poor security that saw some patrons losing assorted property in their cars.
“The festival is growing and we are capitalising on previous challenges to improve. We want tight security throughout the festival. We know that most thieves come from within the host area and to effectively deal with these we have engaged community policing from the area through their chiefs. I am happy to report that there is commitment to supporting us,” said the festival’s coordinator Nkhwachi Mhango.
He added that they have engaged Malawi Police Service (MPS) and Umoja Security Services which will work with the community policing and they are already on security campaign. Unlike, last year, security personnel will guard the venue with torches and shock sticks.
In an interview during the tour of the venue on Friday morning, Group Village Headman (GVH) Boli said it is his wish to see the festival being a success saying he has already mobilised his people to utilise the festival for community benefits.
“It’s our festival and we need to play a greater role. That is why we are playing various roles to entertain patrons, provide security personnel to look after patrons’ property and another team to be on the waters to ensure no one sinks during fun,” said GVH Boli.
His sentiments were concurred by leader of the curio dealers at the beach, Flash Golden Masese who said they have already started producing attractive materials to sell during the festival. Masese who has been in the business for 15 years says they make huge profits during festivals and they have planned to offer low prizes and support the sales with swimming attires.
Sunbird Tourism Limited group sales and marketing manager Titania Katenga-Kaunda said this year’s festival will be bigger and better. She said the hotel has 36 rooms ready for booking apart from additions to be at the camp site.
On meals, Katenga-Kaunda said their festival partners Impact Events will complement their cafeteria with local and very cheap meals.
“Being the third time running, we have ensured the event runs smoothly, the venue is ready, and security mechanisms are in place. We have started in time and I am optimistic that it will be historical,” she said.
Meanwhile the festival has announced that it has settled for last week of August and Livingstonia beach every year.
However, like last year when it clashed with Blantyre Arts Festival (BAF), this year it clashes with the Mwezi Wawala festival to be held in Blantyre, but Mhango defended the situation saying the festivals are in different regions and cover different themes.
So far, the three-day festival has registered about 10 local artists including Black Missionaries, Edgar and Davis and Lulu.
There is still silence on who will headline the international list of artists, but Mhango says the names will be known shortly with the commencement of ticket sells which goes at K13 000 (about $30) advance andK15 000 (about $35) at the gate.
