Old School Picnic turns one as generations unite over timeless hits

• Old School Picnic marked its first anniversary at Sheraton Kampala Hotel.

• Gen Z revellers joined older audiences in singing old-school favourites.

• Lillian Mbabazi, Myko Ouma and Jose Sax performed at the event.

• DJ Ssese, DJ Cacie and Ms Deedan kept the anniversary celebration moving.

Kampala’s Old School Picnic marked its first anniversary at Sheraton Kampala Hotel on Sunday, drawing different generations together for an afternoon of RnB, soul and Ugandan classics.

The hotel gardens filled with revellers carrying mats and settling on the grass for music, food and drinks. While the event is built around songs from earlier decades, younger revellers formed a large part of the crowd.

Gen Z attendees sang along to songs released before or during their childhood, turning the anniversary into a meeting point between generations.

Gloria Nakazzi, a regular at the picnic, said the event offers a chance to relax with friends while revisiting music from another era.

“I love anything that has to do with old-school music. Something about songs that aren’t from this era just gets me. These events are nice because it feels like a society of free souls who have moved back in time. It is pure nostalgia,” she said.

Live performances from Myko Ouma, Jose Sax and Lillian Mbabazi anchored the afternoon.

Ouma brought a live-band feel to the event before Mbabazi drew some of the loudest singalongs. The audience joined her on familiar songs, often taking over parts of the performance.

DJ Ssese and DJ Cacie kept the music flowing between performances, while media personality Ms Deedan hosted the event.

Away from the stage, groups spent much of the afternoon on picnic mats, sharing food and drinks as the event maintained the social setting that has become part of its appeal.

Baileys and Tusker Cider also supported the anniversary celebration.

Baileys brand manager Nancy Nansikombi said the event offered people space to reconnect and enjoy music together.

“The Old School Picnic is really about creating those moments where people can come together, reconnect and simply enjoy themselves,” Nansikombi said.

Tusker Cider brand manager Sandra Againe said the interaction among revellers stood out during the event.

“What stood out for us was the energy and how naturally people connected with the experience,” Againe said.

A year after its launch, the picnic has grown into a gathering that reaches beyond listeners who experienced the music when it was first released. Sunday’s turnout showed that Kampala’s younger generation is also embracing the old-school catalogue.