One Giant Picnic makes a splashy Bulawayo debut

Langelihle Dube & Gift Moyo

Under clear, sunny skies that seemed almost tailor-made for an outdoor gathering, One Giant Picnic made its Bulawayo debut on Sunday, bringing music, games and socialising together at Southern Cross Estate.

From the outfits to the picnic setup, Bulawayo patrons fully embraced the theme, turning the day into more than just another music event. The venue was split into two main sections, with one dedicated to games and activities while the other served as the main entertainment area, where DJs and performers kept energised patrons engaged throughout the afternoon.

The event stayed true to the concept that has seen One Giant Picnic gain traction in Harare, where the focus extends beyond music to include community, leisure, games and simply spending time outdoors with friends and family.

For its inaugural Bulawayo outing, the organisers leaned heavily into the city’s own talent. The diverse line-up featured several of Bulawayo’s familiar names, including MJ Sings, Bhekiwe, DJ Sfiso, Kinah The Music, DJ Brze, DJ Sfiso and Apollo Soule, while Harare-based duo Maddawgs added a touch of the capital to the musical proceedings.

Maddawgs opened the proceedings with a relaxed and easy Afro-house mix, welcoming and embracing the people of Bulawayo to the debut edition of the lifestyle brand. Up next, DJ Sfiso began to up the energy with a private school Amapiano mix, building the perfect vibe to enter the evening session ahead of the live performances.

Rising talent DJ Brze took over from Sfiso to deliver a singalong mix laden with both old school and new school Rnb hits.

Pop princess Bhekiwe and established Afro-house vocalist MJ Sings were the stars of the event, live performing select songs from their extensive discographies.

MJ Sings proved to be the most entertaining act of the day, delivering a strong vocal performance that got the crowd to their feet, singing along and dancing. As a high grossing Afro-house vocalist, many expected MJ Sings to stick strictly to performing Afro-house records only, but he proved to have something better in mind.

He began by delivering a rendition of popular Rnb songs before transitioning mid-performance to his popular Afro-house music hits Mwari and Asibe Mnandi, to which the crowd greatly appreciated and enjoyed.

Shekinah the Music aided both live performances with a solo on his electric guitar.

To cap off the event, Apollo Soule released all the pent up energy with a vibey and dance centred Afro-house mix. Maddawgs returned to the decks as the final act of the night, ensuring that everyone who attended didn’t leave without having danced and enjoyed themselves.

The result was a relaxed afternoon that felt less like a conventional concert and more like a social gathering with music running through its centre.

For a city increasingly embracing outdoor lifestyle events, One Giant Picnic offered Bulawayo its own interpretation of a concept already finding an audience in Harare.