The Whoos Nextt Festival will return to Windhoek on 8 August, bringing together local and regional performers, DJs and digital content creators for a day focused on entertainment and the growth of Namibia’s creative industry.
The festival will be held at Hage Geingob Stadium from 12h00, with South African acts including Sha Sha, Ami Faku, DJ Ganyani and Mdu aka TRP among the performers. They will share the stage with Namibian artists and DJs.
Unlike last year’s two-day festival, this year’s programme will combine the main festival with a creative industry masterclass on 9 August.
The festival was established in 2024 by local DJs Bonginkosi ThanksLord, known as DJ Bokkieult, and DJ Kido Railey. Bonginkosi says the initiative was created to identify and provide opportunities for emerging artists and creators.
“Our main goal was simple, to figure out who the next young artists and creators are in Namibia and give them a bigger stage,” he says.
The masterclass will be held under the theme ‘Unlocking Growth in Namibia’s Creative Economy’ and will include a keynote address by deputy minister of education, innovation youth, sport, arts and culture Dino Ballotti.
Representatives from companies supporting the masterclass will also participate, alongside content creators from South Africa.
Bonginkosi says the masterclass is intended to give creatives practical insight into working with brands and developing sustainable careers in the creative sector.
He says the programme has also been expanded beyond its traditional focus on DJs and music producers to include the broader digital and social media space.
“The masterclass will be different this year as it will include engaging the creative side of social media compared to the usual of only DJ’s and music producers,” he says.
Bonginkosi says the theme reflects the need for creatives to develop skills and collaborate across different areas of the industry.
“The industry is about sustaining each other and we can only do that when we work together, so yes people will have a good time but also come and learn skills from a few creatives who are doing really well in the industry,” he says.
The masterclass will provide opportunities for participants to engage directly with South African content creators and representatives from sponsoring companies in areas such as securing brand partnerships and working with commercial entities.
Organisers say the festival will continue until late on 8 August. They have also indicated that security measures will be in place but urged attendees to remain responsible for their personal belongings throughout the event.
