The fifth edition of the festival that happened on the shores of the clear blue water beaches on July 4 and 5 attracted at least 11,000 revellers aged between 19 and 27 years.
Before the main event, there was a pre-party on July 3 at Grey Experience, the main event at Jacaranda, and an after-party at Mandarin Villas on July 6. In a four-day event-packed festival, some of the revellers attended the Zamani Concert at Safari Beach Hotel.
Famous entertainment clubs Tanduri and Manyatta were packed, with drinks sold out. Carrefour supermarket sold out all their snacks.
At least tickets worth Sh22 million were sold. The revellers from Nairobi and beyond arrived in posh cars, while others came by train and flights. At Jacaranda Indian Ocean Beach Resort and the streets of Diani town, it was two days of wild partying, boozing, dancing and charged political chants.
The festival was an all-top-15 DJ affair, and they entertained the revellers day and night, sharing two mega stages. The entry fee was set at Sh6,500 per head. The DJs included Deejaykace, Joe Mfalme, bmshaxxy, Tophaz254 and djkymnickdee.
Diani Beach, voted the best destination beach in Africa for six years in a row by the World Travel Awards, was swarmed by youths mainly from the affluent families who were not shy to spend their money.
Like Vegas in the U.S., the streets leading to the beach were lined up with top-brand cars like Porsche, Cayennes, Audis, Range Rover, V8s, and a Lamborghini. No Vitzes or Fielders were packed in the parade. Young people flaunted the family toys while blasting loud music, and women sat pretty on sun roofs sipping on booze.
East Africa’s biggest beach festival offered activities like jet skiing, kite surfing, and exploring the Kinondo forest.
Organised by Airbeat, the event security was tight, but police stood afar to allow the revellers to wine, dance and party.
In the evenings many flocked to the beach to catch the sunset, and at dawn, a sunrise, a phenomenon that is common in the coastal beaches with tourists. The tourists braved the chilly weather to flaunt their bikinis and bare chests.
“It was all about good times by the beach. I come from Nairobi, but we also have people from other parts of the country and even from outside the country,” said reveller Ken Nyaundi, 25. The touristic town experienced over 48 hours of nonstop of partying by the beach as different top Kenyan DJs entertained the revellers.
Hotels and AirBnBs along the beach and in Diani town recorded booming business with full bed capacity bookings.
Liquor joints and local eateries equally made a killing from the influx of youths from Nairobi and other counties who arrived in the touristic town on Friday evening.
Julius Auka of Ocean Whites Wines and Spirits said that the festival brought in a lot of business to Diani as the revellers bought booze in plenty.
“The festival was good for business. The timing was perfect, as it came during the low season when the tourist numbers and businesses are low. I suggest the organisers host it twice in March and July,” said Auka.
He, however, said there was a lot of traffic and congestion, while those who are reserved were disturbed by the level of nudity exhibited by the youths.
The villagers were left awestruck by the level of erotic scenes witnessed as the youths obscenely made out in public areas, with some equating it to the Sodom and Gomorrah era.
The locals feel that the level of immorality that comes with summer tides is worrying.
Mzee Hassan Bakari, a local cobbler at Diani, said what he witnessed left him wondering where dignity and respect have evaporated to in the society.
“I have never seen so many people walk almost naked, drunk, without care of what others think. This party is just like Sodom and Gomorrah. How can we say we have a generation if this is how they behave?” said Bakari.
Mkanyika Mgalla, a local running a madafu business at the beach, said that the youths care nothing about morality.
“I see these women walk naked. Everything is out. They drink, they smoke, and they do immoral things. I cannot fathom what kind of wives our sons will have in the future,” said Mgalla. Mercy Kerubo, a salon attendant in Diani, said that the youths turned the quiet town into a Las Vegas with nonstop partying three days in a row.
Kerubo was shocked at how young women were reckless with their bodies and drinking until they passed out in the streets.
However, like many businesspeople, Kerubo appreciated the booming business recorded during the three-day ’festival.
“Without the immorality we experienced, these festivals would be a big boost to businesses that recorded high sales,” said Kerubo. Among those spotted at the party was Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya, who was seen dancing amidst ladies, taking selfies, and enjoying a drink in a transparent plastic cup.
The online world went abuzz with some joking that Summer Tides only attracted the rich kids, while those with hustler funds, Fuliza, and Okoa Jahazi remained in Nairobi.
However, there were cases of accidents reported, with one death incident recorded after a woman was electrocuted and another drowned.
Anti-climax
When the party finally stopped and the music died, revellers were in for a shock, unable to go back home as the police blocked roads ostensibly to stop them from entering Mombasa island. This led to gridlocks and missed transport connections.
Those heading back to Nairobi on the Madaraka Express, know simply as SGR (Standard Gauge Railway), were in for more surprises after the night train was cancelled. Reports indicated that the conduct of passengers on the trip from Nairobi, chanting the “Ruto Must Go” slogan, led to the cancellation on security grounds.
This saw them blocked from returning to the capital on Sunday aboard the 10pm train just in time for the Saba Saba demonstrations.
Stuck partygoers fought to find ways of travelling and many spent the night in the cold. The train resumed service the following day.