Since the junior years of the showbiz in Uganda, characterized by “Nakawunde” plays at the National Theatre, Kampala has been the dream destination for all day and night performances filled with funk, pomp, luxury, and a whole lot of goodies anyone can ultimately recommend.

Starting from the uncountable baby and fully grown pubs, hotels, lounges, and parlous, clad with the best food, dearest to the palate ranging from ordinary fast food to exquisite complimentary dishes, to great ambiance for an incredible night show whether you are alone or on an ultimate getaway with friends.

However, Northern Uganda is slowly taking ground and soon becoming the “next big thing.”

The region is casting a big and darker shadow on the once glorious capital as it continues to host top celebrities in the music industry.

Congolese singer and artist, Fally Ipupa, shook the whole of Arua City in 2023 with the experience of a lifetime at Arua Hill’s unfinished stadium, giving a green light to the Lingala sensation, Awilo Longomba, and later Nigeria’s fun machine and content creator, Sabinus, who all lit up Arua City, leaving the fans in amazement and craving for more.

Waidi Siboko, a 28-year-old Congolese living in Kampala, says he was so excited when he had the news of the performance of Awilo Longomba. He, however, on inquiry of the venue had no idea of where it was, but after making inquiries, he immediately bought a ticket and booked a bus to Arua.

Siboko recounts his journey to the North as a “very long and tiring bus ride.” However, the long trip was worth going the distance.

“Arua is a large town with a lot of people and places, just like Kampala. In Kampala, alcohol is expensive and some bars close a little early, but Arua is a bit different; it is affordable and people are carefree. The performances in the North are a definite success because the Lingala and Rumba sounds are a popular way of life of the Arua people, probably because of their nearness to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” he said.

Consequently, as the year draws to a near end, Northern Uganda’s entertainment schedule is tightly packed with a party-after-party fun-filled expedition in Gulu and Arua City for the Christmas warm-up.

The performances will feature international singers like Nigeria’s Rude Boy from the dynamic singing duo “P-Square” on December 21, 2024, at the Acholi Inn in Gulu City, and later the Tanzanian “Tetema” singer Harmonize will grace Arua City on December 28, 2024.

While Kampala has long been known as the “money city “for hosting big and lavish events, the entertainment scene seems to be getting a new home. Northern Uganda, popularly known as the origin of Uganda’s history, is gaining pace, growing in robust ways to become a promising entertainment hub for Ugandan fun lovers by attracting both local and international talent.