It is October, the month synonymous with binge-drinking, thanks to a German holiday the world has since embraced.
For the past years, parties commemorating Oktoberfest have been organised, and a lot has happened, from tasting craft beers to beer pairings and, in some cases, trying out beer cocktails.
For instance, before someone created a Bell Lager with citrus, some connoisseurs had been on that hill, mixing the old lager with pineapples and lemon. Or the coffee themed Guinness smoothies… you cannot make up these things.
Over the weekend, one of such parties took place at Jahazi Pier Munyonyo, Bell Oba Fest. This, like the other versions of Oktoberfest, is also meant to be a celebration of beer and culture with a mix of music.
For many of such events, the experience is the buffet; the food, beer, and fashion, among other things, are the biggest attractions.
From the entrance at Jahazi Pier in Munyonyo on Friday and later Saturday, it was clear that Ugandans love to party, and in the same breath, they love dressing up for the party.
Be it tights, buggy clothes, or those National Football League kits whose teams we do not even know, many Ugandans showed up in all sorts of ridiculous and creative outfits.
A group of Ugandans tried a cultural theme, or the Ugandan version of culture, African fabric and kente kimonos made popular by singer Azawi, lately.
Since Oba Fest is meant to celebrate culture and beer, a lot of beer, mainly from the sponsoring company, was affordable; thus, all points were selling discounted beer, and it was further discounted for those paying using cashless mediums. But that was not a highlight either; the cans or cups people used to serve the drinks were the highlight. Some were regular branded plastic recyclable cups, while others were calabashes, gourds, and metallic gammas.
It was with the calabash and gourd that local brews such as malwa and kwette also made a minimal presence. How they got there is probably a story for another day. It existed like a well-kept secret.
Beer usually comes with great responsibility, such as not drinking and driving, which a couple of ushers seemed to emphasise through a testimonial story of one man who lost a lot after being involved in an accident where he was actually drunk and behind the wheel. The story was touching, but they were telling it to people who were already drunk and then taking them through a questionnaire, which most received to tick away as opposed to understanding.
But besides all the going ons at Oba Fest, the real winners of the day were football supporters. Gathered in one of the hospitality tents, they watched two football games, one of Manchester United and another one involving Arsenal FC. It is the Arsenal game that attracted Bebe Cool, only for him to leave the tent after they conceded a second goal. During his performance later, he told the audience that he was so confident they were taking the three points until they did not.
But there was music as well; this time, unlike last year, there was just one stage. The artistes were not out of the box; on day two, for instance, it was a Swangz Avenue lineup with John Blaq and Bebe Cool added as toppings.
Of course there were a slew of DJs such as Lynda Ddane, Fem DJ, DJ Alza, and DJ Ssese, among others.
The stage and general curation of Oba Fest is one of their strengths; they clearly have you imagining; they create a good place and a Dreamland at times; just that this year, they were never intentional as they were with the first edition.
From the experience to the stage performances, last year East African Breweries curated an unapologetically African Oktoberfest with lots of African themes and sounds thanks to a dedicated stage and the aesthetics, the kente designs in the tents, basket hangings, and mats, among other things. Then the East African flavour on stage, where an artiste from each East African country was hosted in another country.
Uganda’s Chameleone ended up performing at Oktoberfest at Coco Beach in Tanzania; Nyashinski came to Uganda; and Diamond performed in Kenya.
The East African takeover was swift and gave the audience something to anticipate. This year, however, it was hard looking forward to anything, considering Ugandans are always partying and they see their artistes perform all the time.
Regardless, people still had fun.