The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) has announced its sponsorship of a landmark entertainment and tourism initiative featuring Jamaican dancehall star Spice, who will perform in Uganda for the first time on Saturday, 9 May 2026 at the Lugogo Cricket Oval in Kampala.
The concert, organised by Africa One Ltd, will serve as the headline event of a week-long tourism showcase aimed at positioning Uganda as a destination that blends travel, culture, and entertainment.
UTB says the initiative is part of a broader push to expand Uganda’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) strategy beyond traditional business settings into lifestyle and entertainment experiences.
According to the board, the global entertainment industry is rapidly growing, with concert and festival attendance expected to surpass 500 million people by 2027. Against this backdrop, Uganda is positioning itself to capture a share of this market while strengthening its tourism sector, which is already ranked sixth in Africa by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
“Today’s business and leisure travellers are looking for more than a destination they want after-hours experiences, nightlife, music, and cultural immersion. This concert speaks directly to that demand. Uganda has one of the youngest, most vibrant, and most creative populations on the continent, and a tourism strategy that does not speak to that energy has a gap in it. The Spice Concert closes that gap.” said Daniel Irunga, Senior Brand Officer at UTB.
Beyond entertainment, the event also carries a conservation message. A portion of the proceeds will support rhino protection efforts at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola, home to Uganda’s only wild Southern White Rhinos. The sanctuary’s population has grown from six rhinos in 2005 to 59 today, marking one of the country’s major conservation achievements.
As part of her visit, Spice is expected to travel to Ziwa on Thursday, 7 May 2026, where she will participate in a rhino naming ceremony. The initiative follows Uganda’s ongoing “Name a Rhino” campaign, a five-year programme supported at national level.
Her itinerary will also include visits to key cultural and heritage sites such as the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo, the Kasubi Tombs, a formal engagement with the Buganda Kingdom at Bulange, and a game drive at Murchison Falls National Park.
On concert night, Spice will share the stage with some of Uganda’s leading artists, including Sheebah, Cindy Sanyu, Winnie Nwagi, Karole Kasita, Mark Da Urban, Ziza Bafana, and Navio, highlighting the strength of the local music industry.
“We are telling the world that Uganda is a place where you can track rhinos in the morning and dance to the Queen of Dancehall at night. This is the kind of tourism partnership Uganda needs, one that entertains, educates, and protects. When Spice names a rhino at Ziwa, that story reaches every corner of the globe.” Irunga said.
Spice, born Grace Latoya Hamilton, said the visit is more than a performance, describing it as a meaningful experience tied to conservation and culture.
“I have not just come to perform and leave. I have come to Uganda to walk through, to look a Rhino in the eye at Ziwa, to feel the spray of Murchison Falls. When I was told that proceeds from my concert would go to saving rhinos, I said yes immediately. Music with meaning is the only music worth making.” she said.
