Global Afrobeats sensation Rema is set to headline this year’s Kwita Izina Concert, bringing one of Africa’s biggest music stars to Kigali for the main entertainment event of the annual Gorilla Naming celebrations.
The highly anticipated concert is scheduled to take place at BK Arena on September 5, one day after the 21st Gorilla Naming Ceremony in Kinigi, Musanze District.
Rema, known for international hits including Calm Down, is expected to attract music fans from across Rwanda and beyond as the country prepares to celebrate its conservation achievements and the protection of the mountain gorilla.
The concert will form part of the broader Kwita Izina programme, which brings together conservationists, government leaders, tourism stakeholders, celebrities and visitors from around the world to celebrate Rwanda’s efforts in gorilla conservation.
The announcement of Rema as the headline performer adds a major entertainment attraction to this year’s celebrations.
His international popularity is expected to further raise the profile of the Kwita Izina festivities and strengthen Kigali’s reputation as a destination for major African cultural and entertainment events.
The celebrations will begin with the 21st Gorilla Naming Ceremony on September 4 in Kinigi, where newly born mountain gorillas will be given names in a ceremony that has become one of Rwanda’s most prominent conservation events.
Beyond entertainment, Kwita Izina highlights the importance of protecting the mountain gorilla and the ecosystems that support the species.
The event also showcases the connection between conservation, tourism and community development.
Rema’s performance at BK Arena is therefore expected to provide a high-energy finale to a week of activities centred on Rwanda’s conservation successes, while giving thousands of music lovers an opportunity to experience one of Afrobeats’ leading performers live.
With the Gorilla Naming Ceremony in Kinigi on September 4 followed by Rema’s concert in Kigali on September 5, this year’s Kwita Izina celebrations are set to combine conservation, tourism, culture and entertainment in a major two-day programme.
