Tusker’s OktobaFest suffers low turnout and disappointment despite high expectations

OktobaFest, a music concert intended to promote Tusker beer, reportedly suffered from low attendance in Juba last evening. The event, initially slated for October 2023, got postponed in the 11th hour and was rescheduled for Saturday, 16th December 2023.

Much as the organisers invested heavily in erecting a world class stage and a tent inside the Nyakuron Cultural Centre, reports say that only an estimated less than 50 people showed up for the concert.

Fans expressed their disappointment, attributing the lackluster turnout to high pricing and poor marketing. Some felt that planning the event too early before the Christmas season was a mistake, suggesting that December 23 or 26 would have been more appropriate.

“The pricing was high and how do you expect it not to flop in this economy,” one fan said.

The show sold a regular ticket at ten thousand South Sudanese Pounds (SSP 10,000) which comes with two beers and a VIP ticket sold at twenty five South Sudanese Pounds (SSP 25,000) with a pack of six tusker beers.

Another said, “I think there was no good marketing and besides that it was the wrong timing to plan it too early before Xmass fever ! It could have been 23 or 26 of December.”

Critics also noted that the lineup of artists failed to captivate the audience, with one fan stating, “Why would it not flop when it was full of 90% boring artists? The country’s struggling economy prevents us from investing in such shows.”

The artists lined up for the concert included Kenya’s Khaligraph, Ndovu Kuu, and DJ Grauchi as well as South Sudan’s John Frog, Juna de Star, WJ de King, Neetah Babie, Anyar Yiol, and Lual

While Tusker’s regional festival, OktobaFest dubbed the “Ultimate Beer Festival” has enjoyed success in neighboring countries during recent editions, this Juba event fell short of expectations.