Festival Under Fire

NAIROBI – Muthoni Drummer Queen (MDQ), the founder of the iconic Blankets and Wine festival, has issued a defiant statement affirming the event's permanence, declaring it is “not going anywhere.” This comes as her organization, GoodTimes Africa, navigates significant public criticism and a formal investigation following its troubled September 2025 edition. The declaration was made during a stakeholder meeting on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 (EAT), aimed at addressing the festival's future and recent challenges.

The September 28, 2025, festival, held at Nairobi’s Laureate Gardens, Kasarani, was marred by widespread operational failures that sparked outrage among attendees. Patrons reported numerous issues, including poor sound quality that hampered performances, significant delays in the schedule, chaotic bar services with excessively long queues, and inadequate crowd management. The disruption was so significant that it led to a last-minute reshuffling of the headline acts, with Nigerian star Tems performing in a different slot than originally scheduled to manage the delays.

Consumer Rights Complaint and Official Response

The fallout from the event prompted city lawyer Francis Wanjiku to file a formal complaint with the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) on October 7, 2025, citing unfair trade practices and consumer welfare violations under the Competition Act. Wanjiku argued that attendees who paid premium prices did not receive the quality of experience advertised. The CAK's Director-General, David Kemei, confirmed receipt of the complaint and stated that the authority had commenced preliminary investigations into the matter. If found culpable, the organizers could face penalties of up to 10 percent of the festival's gross annual turnover.

In response to the backlash, Blankets and Wine organizers issued a detailed public statement on October 9, 2025, acknowledging the shortcomings. They admitted the event “fell short” and attributed the bar service chaos to network congestion slowing mobile payments and other operational bottlenecks. They also acknowledged sound coverage challenges and announced that their technical teams were overhauling their processes for future editions. However, during the October 29 stakeholder briefing, MDQ clarified that as of that date, her organization had “officially not received any legal summons” from the CAK, learning of the complaint only through media reports. She affirmed that they would follow due process should they receive any official notice.

A Pillar of Kenya's Creative Economy

Founded in 2008, Blankets and Wine has evolved from a small picnic-style gathering into a cornerstone of East Africa's cultural calendar and a significant platform for the region's creative economy. The festival is renowned for showcasing a diverse range of African artists, from emerging local acts to established international stars, fostering a vibrant ecosystem for musicians, fashion designers, artisans, and food vendors. Its impact extends beyond Kenya, with successful editions held in Uganda and Rwanda.

The year 2025 has been one of mixed fortunes for the festival. It successfully launched its first-ever international edition in Bradford, UK, on September 6, 2025, in partnership with the British Council, a major milestone in exporting Kenyan culture. However, the organizers were forced to cancel the planned June 29, 2025, edition in Nairobi due to security concerns amid nationwide anti-government demonstrations, offering full refunds to ticket holders. At the October 29 meeting, MDQ reiterated the festival's core mission: “We are here to build the arts and culture ecosystem, and that continues to be our focus.”

Despite the recent setbacks, the organizers are looking ahead, promising a revamped experience for their upcoming “Kenyan Summer” edition scheduled for December 21, 2025. The resilience of this iconic Kenyan brand is now under intense scrutiny as it seeks to rebuild trust with the audience that has sustained it for over 16 years.