No Lake of Stars festival this year

If you missed last year’s “mother of all festivals in Malawi” and you were expecting to attend this year’s festival, just know that you will have to wait for one more year.

According to a statement made available to Malawi24 on Thursday, LOS organizers will not hold the festival this year as they would like to focus on supporting other Malawian arts projects and build similar events in London and Scotland.

“Last year was amazing as we went back to our roots in Chintheche and we are thankful for all the support from our audience and partners. However we have decided to postpone the festival to 2018 and hope that people will be open to this, as we want to focus on supporting other Malawian arts projects and build LOS events in UK so that Malawian talent, products and culture can be promoted there.

“We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the people who support the festival, our sponsors and team who work tirelessly to ensure that the festival is a success. And also artists and audiences who make the festival what it is. The festival will return to Lake Malawi in September 2018 for our 15th anniversary,” Lake of Stars Director Will Jameson said in the statement.

According the to the statement, festival team last postponed the LOS festival in 2012 when they worked to secure a Funktion One sound system for Malawi and prepared for LOS at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

In 2013 the spin-off City of Stars Festival was held in Lilongwe bringing a new version of the world famous lakeside arts and cultural weekend to town.

Over the last five years, LOS has held numerous capacity building events such as the international event management course, event security training, artist management workshops, culture policy and advocacy, and artist digital marketing.

Apart from managing the country’s flagship tourism festival, LOS also produces the Children’s Future Festival, Lilongwe Short Film Festival, Porter’s Race Island in Sky Concert, Day of Ideas, A4AY concerts and the newest brand – Festival of Ideas.

2017 has already kicked-off successfully with the special youth focussed Festival of Ideas on 28th January at the incredible yet underutilized Kamuzu Institute in Lilongwe.

In the months ahead there will also be workshops and continued support for creative projects such as the Tumaini Festival.

Since Lake of Stars Festival began in 2004 it has led to the growth of local and international tourism through a vibrant festival industry. It is dubbed by Sandfest organizer and musician Lucius Banda as “the mother of all festivals in Malawi”.