East Africa’s music tech and innovation summit is back


The 2nd edition of Kilele will land February 18th to 22nd, 2025. Here’s what you need to know.


Kilele is a space for adventurous music and culture.
We focus on technology, innovation and experimentation whether folkloric or futurist. 

Tickets on sale now! 


For 2025 we are focussing on:





 





As with the 2024 Edition, we’ll be hosting a dizzying number of workshops, panels, talks,
installations, showcases, parties, screenings and more. The full program is still being finessed,
but we can reveal a slew of confirmed artists, speakers and partners below.













When and where is it happening?




February 18th to 22nd 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya.


Most of the events will happen at our homebase, The Mall, in Westlands.

We’re also planning some additional (still secret) locations for special events,
so keep an eye out for the full program.

Tickets on sale now



What’s On?




Performances by:


Auntie Flo Band

Odd Okoddo & Ogoya Nengo

Nilotika Cultural Ensemble


Mizizi Ensemble




Afrique Like Me


Sophia Mitiku


Jane Arnison


Ja
Sammy Karugu & Basile Huguenin-Virchaux




and many more to be announced.



Panels, presentations and workshops by:



DJ Raph

Justin Pflughaupt

Muha

Jane Arnison

Mina

Astrid Bin
Sam Achola / Usanii

Adam Yawe

João Tragtenberg

Sisonke Papu

Labdi
Joshua Madalitso Chiundiza

Mashariki Vibes

Kibera Creative Arts

Brian Gugo / Afrikaan Kodo

Precious Narotso






Tech Workshops:


FL Studio  

Focusrite / Novation  


Ableton

ADAM Audio
Elektron

Orchestral Tools



New for 25:


Instrument Makers Lab



This year we are delighted to debut the Instrument Makers Lab - for the duration of the Summit
we’ll have a space dedicated to the creation of instruments - building, crafting, coding,
programming and recycling - anything goes. We can’t wait to hear what comes out of this,
and will be presenting as much as possible during Kilele week.



Live streaming and sound art by Calotropis.










Created by you



Over 50% of the Kilele programme is created by you, our community. 
We received scores of proposals and pitches from around the world,
from which a mix of talks, performances, panels and installations were selected. 
The full programme will be out in January.

The programme is curated by a collective of artists and cultural practitioners. 





Tickets on sale now!










kilele@santuri.org













With thanks to our donors, partners and friends 





Africa Express / Roskilde Foundation - the charitable arm of the Danish festival Roskilde



Pro Helvetia - the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia supports and promotes Swiss culture in Switzerland and throughout the world



Australian High Commission Nairobi - the AHC are supporting the FEMX stream of Kilele, fore-grounding non-male participation in the summit 



Goethe-Institut - the Goethe-Institut is the cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany with a global presence




  .    . 






Ableton - the leading music tech firm behind Ableton Live and Push

Elektron - is a Swedish developer and manufacturer of musical instruments founded in 1998, as well as having its headquarters, R&D and production in Gothenburg, Sweden. 

Image-Line - Makers of the legendary FL Studio, one of the most iconic peices of music software of all time.

Orchestral Tools - Orchestral Tools is a forward-thinking sample library development team with offices in Berlin and Freiburg, Germany.

ADAM Audio - ADAM Audio was founded in March 1999 in Berlin. Since then the company has been developing, manufacturing and distributing loudspeakers in the field of Professional Audio. 












Practical Information

1. VISA (eTA)



Kenya is officially visa free since 1st of January 2024 but you still have to register for an electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), pay a $30 processing fee and upload supporting documents. You can apply from three months before your travel but if you apply 2 weeks before, it should suffice to process the eTA in time.


The following information is required to apply for an eTA:

  • Valid passport
  • Recent passport picture OR a selfie picture taken during application process
  • Contact details (home address, telephone, email)
  • Travel information and flight itinerary (arrival flight number, date of departure of initial flight in case of connecting flights)
  • Proof of booking for the hotel you will be staying at (if staying with friends, a letter of invitation is accepted)
  • Yellow fever vaccination certificate if coming from endemic countries (please check the WHO website for the updated list of countries)
  • Credit/Debit card information for payment, if applicable

Once your eTA has been approved the webpage states that you can either “print the PDF document that has been attached to the email, OR download the document to your mobile device OR save it in the “Kenya Travel Authorisation” mobile app” . Since the previous VISA system required you to print the VISA (in color) we recommend you print the eTA in case not all airline personnel have been informed of the new rules yet.


You can apply for eTA here: https://www.etakenya.go.ke/en


2. Accommodation


Kilele will take place in Westlands, Nairobi and most of the program will take place at The Mall:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/gioBVkj82cUaR8rX9


We don’t have any specific deals, but we have put together a short list of some decent hotel alternatives that are close to the venue. It’s not a comprehensive list and there are a lot of affordable options for both apartments (Airbnb and Bookings) and hotels in the area. Apart from Westlands you can also check out apartments or hotels around Kilimani, Lavington or Kileleshwa.


Some hotels in Westlands:



3. Local transport


Nairobi is not made for pedestrians, so you will need to move around with a taxi most of the time. Both Uber, Bolt and InDrive are available apps/services where you can pay with card, cash or MPESA, though some drivers will cancel card trips as they prefer getting the money as quickly as possible. Rides are usually very quick to get and very affordable. Traffic can be chaotic, so wear a seat belt and ask your driver to slow down if he’s going too fast.  


From airport: You can book an Uber, Bolt or InDrive (local alternative) from the airport on arrival. There are also standard taxis that will be more expensive, charging between 20 and 40 USD, whereas an Uber/Bolt/InDrive is typically around 10 USD. To save time you can take the Expressway, but you need cash to pay the toll. The charges were recently raised from 300 KES to about 450 KES from the airport to Westlands.


 

4. Accessing the local currency of Kenya



Obtaining Kenyan Shilling doesn't necessarily involve exchanging currency which tends to be done at extortionist rates. If you have a credit or debit card, you can use one of the ATMs provided at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to obtain cash. Later on if you get a SIM card, you can also activate the mobile payment, see below.


The current exchange rate for the Kenyan Shilling is 135 to €1, and 129 to the US Dollar.




5. SIM card and mobile money (M-PESA)


Safaricom is the most used provider and you can get a SIM card at the airport (they have a booth just outside after you exit customs), or at Safaricom shops around the city - the closest to the Kilele venue is in Sarit Mall (5 min walk).


M-PESA is the mobile money system in Kenya (the first in the world dating back to 2007) and you can use it to pay basically anywhere. You don’t connect MPESA to a credit or debit card, but transfer money to your MPESA account either by finding an agent to deposit cash or using a service like Wise or WorldRemit to transfer from your bank account straight into your MPESA account. The transaction usually takes only a few minutes.

Some people only use M-PESA for all transactions, but it’s sometimes good to have some cash handy.


6. Safety


Be aware of yourself and belongings. Simple precautions of not having your wallet, phone or valuables on display should be observed. Also be aware to not have your phone out if you’re in a car with an open window moving in slow traffic as it might get snatched.


Walking can be hazardous even during daytime because of the chaotic traffic. It’s not advisable to walk at night.


7. Vaccinations



Most visitors or expats coming from abroad do not take any special vaccination precautions. However, this is very much up to the individual. Nairobi is at an altitude of 1800 meters and as such malaria is not endemic.


These are the official UK vaccine recommendations for Kenya:

https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/country/117/kenya#Vaccine_Recommendations


8. Climate



Nairobi has a subtropical highland climate. At 1,795 metres (5,889 ft) above sea level, evenings may be cool even if it's hot during the day. The sunniest and warmest part of the year is from December to March, when temperatures average in the high-twenties Celsius during the day. The mean maximum temperature for this period is 28 °C (82 °F).


9. Other things to note



  • Plastic bags are officially banned in Kenya - best not to pack any in your suitcases.
  • The two official languages of Kenya, Swahili and English are widely spoken as lingua francas.
  • Timezone: +3 GMT
  • Currency: Kenya Shilling (KES)




Write the Kilele team if there is anything else you need to know! 




kilele@santuri.org













VENUES





Kilele is primarily happening in multiple spaces around The Mall, Westlands.


Over the past few years, The Mall has become a hub for young creatives, as arts and community organisations have moved into empty units, particularly in the basement.  Current residents of The Mall include Santuri East Africa, Creatives Garage, The Mist, Black Rhino VR, Zamani Skate, ‘Contemporary &’ and others.



For Kilele, the venues will be:



Creatives Garage


Formerly the Fem Lab, now the home of awesome. This space has played a key role in promoting and fore-grounding non-male participation in the Creative Sector. It will be the primary space for talks and panels.






Santuri Salon


The Santuri Salon is Santuri’s multi-functional space for workshops, performances, listening sessions, panel discussions and more. It’s also a place for DJs and music producers to access world class hardware and software Santuri shares with the community.






Classroom / Instrument Makers Lab


Normally the home for SEMA - The Santuri Electronic Music Academy - but for Kilele this space will be transformed in to Bond-like workshop for advanced vibe mechanics.  






Basscamp


This is our Pop-Up networking space on The Mall rooftop, which will be the venue for our soft opening event and a sundowner session on each evening.

 








Out Reality / BRBR



Black Rhino VR’s space for workshops and hackathons, this space will serve as the tech workshop venue for Kilele, hosting sessions by Ableton, FL Studio, Elektron and Bitwig.






The Mist


The now infamous underground club that has carved a niche into the cultural scene through its challenging and open music policy, and community aesthetic. 



Munyu 


The wonderful exhibition and performance space is also in The Mall basement.



Mall Rooftop 


 





















 

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