Mziki Gospel Festival – Africa

Dates: 5th – 14th July 2023

Festival Dates; 5th July – 10th July 2023

Extra optional Package for Safari; 10th July – 14th July 2023

Our objective is to reach out and promote different cultural interactions through Gospel music and other genres of music by creating a platform where singers from across the Globe will converge in Nakuru, Kenya – Africa; all United by music and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We further give this extremely rare yet impactful and exciting opportunity to all Gospel singers and those specializing in different genres from around the world to travel to Kenya, experience the rich African music and culture while also participating in fun adventure activities, safaris among others.

In summary, MGF-A shall comprise of activities such as Mass choir singing in which everyone participates, Gospel music concerts, Gala concert, workshops, African teambuilding activities, other special concerts in which you get to experience different choirs performing different genres of music, Festival service, networking and ofcourse an opportunity to participate in a thrilling Safari among other adventurous activities.

DATE/TIME	ACTIVITY	DESCRIPTION	VENUE
5th July	International Arrivals	We expect that singers will be arriving from different countries and with different flight schedules. We also expect that they will arrive in Nairobi any time between 12.00am and 16.00pm on this day the 5th July 2023. Thereafter, groups will drive to Nakuru (about 3hrs) depending with their Flight arrival times.	Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
	Orientation	After arriving in Nakuru and a bit of relaxing, all singers shall assemble at an auditorium for orientation.	Bontana Auditorium
Thursday, 6th July 2023
8.30am	Opening ceremony	The official programme for MGF-A shall kick off at this time with special presentations where visiting groups shall be treated with some thrilling African music performances by local choral groups. There will also be an introduction of participating Choir directors and workshop leaders. This shall also act as a welcome ceremony to the singers coming from different countries. In addition to the music celebration programme, we shall also have other guests from the Church, the Government, culture and Ambassadors. We expect that all the participants will be present.	Bontana Auditorium
13.30pm	Workshops	Each participant is invited and expected to participate in different workshops. Each singer will be able to participate in multiple workshops as we shall have different workshops running in different times; led by different professional choir directors who will be ready to share their music skills. Activities during the workshops will include; *learning new songs, open Gospel singing, African music, sound, choir presence, body percussion, song writing, warm ups, gospel meditation, vocal painting, intelligent choir, choral management among others.*	Ack Cathedral ChurchBontanaNakuru players theatre
17.30pm	Flashmob	After the workshops, all participants will assemble at the City centre for Flashmob singing, there will be a performance for few gospel songs as a mass choir in acapella. This will also be a good way of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Gospel music.	Nakuru City Centre
20.30pm	Gospel Music mocktail party	After Dinner time, participants will proceed to the venue for a Gospel music mocktail party. During this time, singers will be served with non-alcoholic drinks as they enjoy music performances from different groups. We hope that different groups can register to perform during this event. There will also be a small session for sharing music experiences. And of course to sum up the evening, there will also be a mass choir singing.	To be confirmed
Friday, 7th July 2023
8.00am	Learning African music	This will be an opportunity for visiting singers to learn some African music, we want to make sure that all singers have this exciting experience of learning and singing in an African way. We shall have a number of local choir directors who will be leading the session and make sure that you experience just that.	Ack Cathedral Church
10.00am	Mass choir singing	We expect that every attending singer will participate in this mass choir. We are excited to have the mass choir singing and rehearsals because it will have participants from both visiting choirs and local choirs. This therefore will be a fulfilling experience to all singers. The mass choir will be led by some of the leading Gospel music choir directors from Europe.	Ack Cathedral Church
13.00pm	Team buildings & sharing music experiences	Considering the fact that we shall be having singers come from different countries, this will be a perfect session for breaking the ice. There will be activities such as African games, team building activities and most importantly; this will also be the time for sharing music experiences and different cultures.	To be confirmed
19.00pm	Gospel evening	This will be one of the most exciting and important evenings during the Festival as everyone will have an opportunity to watch performances of different Gospel music songs performed by different visiting choirs. There will also be performances of Choirs specializing in different genres of music. We are looking for 10 key choirs that can participate in this programme. If your choir/ensemble is willing to stage a performance at this time, please let us know early enough while making the registration. Your group can’t surely miss to do what they do best in this particular evening.	Bontana auditorium
Saturday 8th July 2023
8.00am	Refreshing and Reinvigorating	As a way of reinvigorating, everyone will visit Menengai crater; a tourist attraction site which is the largest caldera in Africa and second largest in the world; with scenic aerial view of Nakuru city and lake Nakuru from the top of the crater. While at the crater, you can also visit some African craft shops.	Menengai Crater
11.30am	Workshops	We want to make sure that during this time, singers have enough opportunity to sing, rehearse and have many workshops together so that they can have as much music experiences together as possible. Once again, workshops will be run by different Gospel music directors and singers have a possibility of participating in multiple workshops.	Menengai crater
14.30pm	Mass choir rehearsal	While at Menengai crater, we’ll still have yet another opportunity to rehearse and sing in a mass choir at this very beautiful and serein environment. This time we sing in an outdoor while being led by our various gospel music directors.	Menengai crater
19.00pm	Gala concert	At the gala concert, we get to fuse great performances from star gospel music choral groups from Europe and professional African choral groups from Kenya. We also get to have other gospel singers perform live. So at this event, please prepare to sing along and dance like you haven’t done before. This is surely an event you can’t afford to miss.	Bontana auditorium
Sunday 9th July 2023
9.00am	Church Service	This Sunday being the last day of the festival, choirs will split into different groups to attend and sing in different Church services in the morning. It will also be an opportunity for participants to experience how most Churches conduct their services in Africa. It will further be a great time to spread the word of God through Gospel music.	Different Churches
14.00pm	Sound check and preparation for the Gospel music Festival service	At this time, all singers will assemble at the main venue where we shall do all preparations for the main event (Gospel Festival Musical Service) in the evening. This shall include sound checks, mass choir rehearsals and other group rehearsals. There will also be groups or individuals photo session at the red carpet before the Festival service begin.	To be confirmed
18.00pm	Mziki Gospel Music Festival Service	As the climax event for the festival, we aim to celebrate this evening together with all participants both local and visiting, Christians from different local Churches, local government leaders and ambassadors of different countries through Gospel music. The service will be led by both visiting and local singers as it will be a Musical service. We shall have mass choir presentation alongside other presentations.	To be confirmed
Monday 10th July 2023	Departure	This shall be the departure date for those who won’t be participating in the second programme below which is the optional package. Groups will drive to the airport in Nairobi before eventually boarding their flights back home.

EXTRA OPTIONAL PACKAGE; VACATION AND SAFARI AT MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Right after the main Festival programme, we have arranged a special adventurous activity just for you. We want to make sure that you experience one of the best Safari/Game drive filled with wonderful memories. We also want to make sure that you have a chance to swim in the largest natural spa in East and Central Africa as you relax your minds. And since you are visiting Africa, you definitely can’t afford to miss this very exciting and fun moments.

Enjoy a thrilling 3 days Masai Mara Safari tour starting in Nakuru and ending in Nairobi and using quality mid range safari lodges or adventurous tented camps which are typically located inside or close to the main Masai Mara National reserve. Maasai Mara is one of the largest Game reserves in Africa. The tour includes road transport from Nakuru with upto four private game drives in the reserve. The trip may also include extra options such as a visit to Maasai village while experiencing the rich Maasai Culture and interacting with Maasai people. Full day game drives can be had at no extra charge for the second day of the itinerary in Masai Mara.

DAY/DATE	ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION
Monday 10th July 2023	Travel to Hell’s Gate National Park in Naivasha (About 80kms from Nakuru); activities would include; swimming in the Largest Natural spa in East and Central Africa, biking Safari in a National park and able to see wild animals like Buffalos, Baboons, Antelopes, Zebras, Giraffes, Impalas e.t.c. spectacular scenery including towering cliffs, water gouged gorges, stark rock towers, scrub clad volcanoes among other things. The place is just so amazing for big groups. It doesn’t host dangerous animals, thus making cycling and walking extremely excellent activities.
Tuesday 11th July 2023	The safari to Kenya’s Famous game reserve (Masai Mara) will start at 8am. The trip takes about 5hrs. You will be in a private safari vehicle. We may stop at some points for photos and to enjoy some amazing views of beautiful landscapes. Arrive at Masai Mara for lunch at your camp. The afternoon game drive at 3.30pm allows spotting of the magnificent wildlife in the park ranging from the Big Cats such as Lion, Leopard & Cheetah to Rhino, Elephant and Wildebeest. Return to your lodge by 6.30pm.
Wednesday 12th July 2023	You will be taken on two safari game drives today, one in the morning from 6.15am to 10am, followed by breakfast and the other in the late afternoon after lunch from 3.30pm to 6.30pm. We may also opt to have a Bush breakfast at no extra cost. The wildlife is usually more active during these times of the day. As your Masai Mara safari will be private, your game drive timings will be flexible, useful even if you are travelling with children. You may also choose to have a full day game drive [one for the whole day] with a packed picnic lunch at no extra cost. Return in the evening for dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Thursday 13th July 2023	At the break of dawn you embark on your concluding safari game drive in Masai Mara, followed by a relaxed bush breakfast back at the camp, followed by an onward departure this time round to Nairobi by road. Arrive Nairobi later in the afternoon and drop off at the hotel where you’ll spend the night.
Friday 14th July 2023	Departure

REGISTRATIONS

For registrations as a group or choir, your leader should send an email to us through director@mzikitours.eu or info@joakimarenius.com with the subject “Registration for Mziki Gospel Festival – Africa”. Those registering as individuals should also send an email with the same subject. We will then respond to your email by sending you registration forms which you will then fill either as an individual or as a group. When filling the form as a group, please remember to indicate the total number of your members and also to attach the list of your singers. After this we will then advise you on how to proceed further. If some of your members or the whole choir/group would like to participate in the extra optional package, please remember to notify us while feeling the form. If your choir wishes to stage a special performance during the Gospel evening, Gospel music mocktail party or the Gospel music Festival service, please let us know too. We really wish to have more choirs register for these.

ACQUAINTANCES, FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS

If by any chance some of your friends, acquaintances or family members who are not part of the singers would like to come along, this is very possible as we will be so pleased. However, their registration price is slightly higher than that of singers. With this, they will have access to the main events and concerts for free while during the workshops and mass choir singing, we shall arrange different site seeing programmes for them. Please let us know about this while feeling the registration form.

SONGBOOK

The Festival songbook will be available for everyone. It’s price is included in the registration fee; so everyone will get to have a copy without having to pay extra charges. We will send you the soft copy 3 months before the Festival and we shall also provide you with the hard copy on arrival to Kenya. The book will contain all the songs to be sang in the Mass choir and during the Festival service.

CHOIR DIRECTORS AND WORKSHOP LEADERS

During the opening ceremony, we shall have all the participating lead choir directors and workshop leaders introduce themselves. They are the ones who will also be conducting and leading the Mass choir singing. We will be working with very experienced, exposed and professional Gospel music directors. The team will be led by the Festival’s Artistic Director; Joakim Arenius, a re-known Gospel music director from Europe. We shall be letting you know the names of those others soon. We therefore ask you to prepare yourselves for very electrifying musical experiences.

T-SHIRTS

We shall provide each participant with Festival T-shirts for free, these could be worn anytime during the Festival. However, we shall request that everyone puts it on at least during the Mass choir singing. After making the registrations, we shall ask you to send us your T-shirt sizes. The T-shirts will be collected on arrival together with printed songbook.

GOSPEL EVENING

This is actually one of the major events during the Festival period; because you get to watch electrifying Gospel musical performances from different Choirs from different parts of the world. We are looking for 10 Gospel choirs or ensemble groups who are willing to stage a show during this time. We shall have an audience of the attending singers both international and local and the residents from Nakuru. So this will be quite a big stage. Bearing in mind that we will have different audiences, we are inviting choirs/groups who sings different genres of music to participate too. We want to make sure that during this time, the audience is provided for with diverse musical performances starting from Gospel music, African music among other styles. So if you are attending the Festival and wish to participate in this particular event, please reach out to us either by sending an email or while filling the registration form. Remember to let us know how many you are in your group and what equipment you will require during the performance.

CANCELLATIONS IF ANY

Registration for International Gospel Music Festival – Africa is binding. However, in case of any cancellations or withdrawals due to personal reasons, the following cancellation fees will be charged: 30% of the total cost if cancellation is done 3 months to time, 50% of the total cost if cancellation is done 2 months to time, 80% of the total cost if cancellation is done 1 month to time and 100% if cancellation is done 1 week to time. Alternatively, you can also get a replacement participant if possible. Please let us know early enough by sending us an email in case there’s need for this.

ACCOMMODATION, MEALS AND LOCAL TRANSPORT

We have organized and planned everything just to make sure that you have a smooth, adventurous, musical, refreshing and stress-free trip while in Kenya. You only have to pay for the registration fees and all the rest shall be taken care of. Once you arrive at the Airport in Nairobi, you don’t have to worry about anything as all the rest shall be on us. Our teams shall pick you up right from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and drive you to Nakuru. The registration fee includes all the accommodation, meals and local transport costs. This includes the airport transfers too. We shall have hotel accommodation in double rooms and 3 meals each day. (Usually in English buffet style). However, if you need to have a single room, triple room or family rooms please let us know in advance. The price shall remain unchanged except for the single room.

EXTRA ITINERARY

If by any chance any of you or a group would want to stay a bit longer while in Kenya; and need to have some sort of extra special itinerary for few more days. Please let us know through email and we will customise an itinerary with few more activities for you.

Mandatory Trip package cost for participating in the Festival – 1090€ per person; includes all the basic costs as mentioned below;

Return airport transfers while in Kenya and daily transport throughout the trip.
Activities’ registration and participation fees.
All planning, coordination and administration fees.
Hotel accommodation in double rooms, 3 meals each day and Mocktails during the music party.
Entry fees to Menengai Crator.
Orientation and pre planned music activities.
Dedicated, experienced and well-informed music trip organizers and guides.
Visa application support and advise on flight bookings.
Local cultural events and activities
Branded t-shirt and a song book, to be availed on arrival.
All the taxes

What’s not included;

Flight tickets.
Visa fees @ 50€
Any vaccinations if needed.
Drinks during the trip.

Extra – optional holiday package for adventure and safari in maasai mara national reserve; Total package cost – 655 Euros

PACKAGE COST INCLUDES;

2 days park entry fees at Maasai Mara Game reserve.
Upto 4 private and flexible Safari drives at own pace and timing.
Use of Safari vans during the game drive and back to Nairobi.
Entry fees to the Hell’s Gate National Park in Naivasha.
All the 3 meals each day during the 5 days adventurous and exciting trip.
Accommodation costs in tented camps in Maasai mara and hotel while in Nairobi