Oh, what a night!

A new record was set and an old myth was busted in what may be described as a first-of-its-kind in the Namibian music industry - the MTC 081Every1Fest - which surpassed all expectations by recording an overwhelming attendance of music lovers at the Sam Nujoma Stadium.With an incredible and electrifying performances by a powerful line-up of both local and continental acts, the crowd was kept on their feet, dancing throughout; and with the strong presence of tight security at the venue, the festival busted the security myth surrounding the stadium.A total of 19 541 tickets were sold at the event which indicates its success. The core essence of the 081Every1Fest concert was charity aimed towards the alleviation, and lessening the burden, of homelessness in Namibia, with proceeds from the concert meant for the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia through the Buy-a-Brick Initiative of Standard Bank. Enthused Tim Ekandjo, the festival director, said it was a resounding success, with thousands from around the country getting a taste of local and international performances on the day.“Nothing gave us greater joy than seeing the Sam Nujoma Stadium filled to the brim with mostly young Namibians – who through the expressive form of art, came to support a cause which is worthy, noble and empowering to the less fortunate,” he said. Ekandjo also complimented the Namibian police and all security officers for a commendable job to control and maintain safety at the stadium.The bloopers We all get excited and become ‘not quite ourselves’, at times. When this happens, regardless of who you are; you say things that are not a delight. A victim of this at the 081every1Fest was local artist Gazza who took the microphone and said he wished he was Muslim and wanted to marry all his female fans. The tasteless joke was not received well which resulted in Gazza issuing an apology. The artist said he takes pride in being a musician and a role model. “I was greatly overwhelmed by the love and support shown by Namibians thus the comment came in the midst of that excitement to joke with my female fans. This should not serve as an excuse. I should in fact have known better and considering this, I would like to reiterate that I am sincerely sorry,” read his statement. The headlinerHis performance was spontaneous, improvisational and wild. It is very clear as to why he's so high up. Nigerian award-winning Davido took to the stage as the last performer and did justice to the set. The artist had the crowd singing along to his hit songs including Dodo, FIA, Fall and his latest, Assurance. Davido, in between the performance took the microphone and told the crowd that he was glad to be back in Namibia as it is his second home. “There were rumours that Davido will not come to Namibia but here I am. This is my second home, I had to come. Let’s have fun,” he said. There were a couple of times where the artist almost stopped the show as the police tried to control the crowd, telling the officers, “I am not here to perform for security, leave my fans alone”. The show concluded as Davido who was clearly excited attempted crowd surf and ended up losing his shoes in the midst of it all. Namibia surely loves you, do come back. Local is lekkerLocal artists who took the stage were Sally Boss Madam, KP Illest, Afroberries, Kalux, PDK, One Blood Adora and Taylor Jaye and they performed their hearts out. The Afroberries said being part of the event was humbling and an honour given that such gigs are rare. One of the DJs said they loved the experience because it was for a good cause it and everyone felt included. “Maggz and I were first on the line-up and we were kind of scared we will be performing for a handful of people but we got there around 11:00 and people were already queuing to go inside the stadium which was amazing,” said DJ Alba. Another artist KP Illest said festivals like the 081every1Festival are important especially when they are brought close to the masses as it gives everyone a chance to attend and also see artists they wouldn’t normally see. “It’s important because it also bridges the mental gap. It was such a great experience for my brand, knowing that my music has reached a certain amount of people,” he said.June Shimuoshili

Oh, what a night!

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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Oh, what a night!

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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