Sand Music Festival forced to change venue after Lake Malawi floods wreck original plans
Organisers of the Sand Music Festival have revealed the real reason behind the delay in announcing this year’s venue – and it’s down to Mother Nature rather than anything more dramatic.
Rising water levels on Lake Malawi have forced bosses to ditch plans to host the beloved festival in Salima, with rising floods swallowing up the beaches they had their eye on.
The festival, which makes its comeback this year from September 25 to 27 after a two-year hiatus, will instead be held at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi.
Lead coordinator Yamikani Chinguwo admitted the team had their hearts set on Salima – but nature had other ideas.
“We faced a massive hiccup getting a venue as most beaches along the lakeshore in Salima have flooded. This made us go back to Nkopola in Mangochi,” he said.
Fans left in the dark
The venue announcement comes five months after frustrated fans took to social media questioning the eerie silence surrounding preparations for the festival’s big return.
Just two weeks ago, organisers admitted some venue owners were reluctant to host the event at all – adding to fears the festival could face further setbacks.
But Chinguwo insists everything is now firmly back on track, promising fans an artist lineup and full festival details very soon.
“We will conclude the artists’ lineup by the first week of August. However, we will be announcing artists as we go,” he said.
He teased a stacked lineup blending Malawi’s own homegrown talent with Afrobeats, dancehall and hip-hop stars – plus some big-name headline acts still to be confirmed.
A festival born from tragedy
The Sand Music Festival has been silent since the devastating death of its founder, Impakt Events Management boss “Soldier” Lucius Banda, in June 2024. Organisers announced its comeback earlier this year, vowing the revival would keep his legacy alive while giving local and international artists a platform to shine.
The news comes just as Banda’s son, Johnny Zembani Banda, revealed plans for a separate, deeply personal tribute to his late father.
Taking to Facebook, he announced the Lucius Banda Foundation will host a special tribute concert in his father’s honour on August 22 at Balaka Stadium – the music icon’s home district.
Organisers say the concert will be a joyful celebration of Banda’s life, music and legacy, bringing fans, artists and supporters together for an afternoon of live performances and remembrance.
“The foundation warmly invites the public to attend and honour one of Malawi’s greatest musical icons. Individuals, organisations and businesses interested in sponsoring the event as well as artists wishing to perform, are encouraged to get in touch,” organisers said in a statement.
Banda, affectionately known as “Soldier,” was a towering figure in Malawian music. Through his Zembani Music Company, he mentored a string of stars including Mlaka Maliro, Lulu, Billy Kaunda, Wendy Harawa, Emma Masauko and Victor Paul – while his Impakt Events company gave the country the Sand Music Festival in the first place.
The beloved musician died on June 30, 2024, after losing his battle with kidney complications at a hospital in South Africa.
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