Speedball Summer showcases Uganda’s rising streetwear talent

• Speedball Summer took place at Motiv in Bugolobi on August 1, 2026.

• The show combined Ugandan streetwear with live orchestral music, art and performance.

• Audience members redesigned runway outfits during the Make It Yours segment.

• Speedball plans to expand production, train young designers and strengthen Uganda’s fashion industry.

Speedball Summer 2026 turned a fashion show into a celebration of Kampala’s growing creative culture.

The youth-led event brought together streetwear, live music, art and performance at Motiv in Bugolobi on August 1, 2026.

Kampala’s designers, artists, fashion lovers and cultural influencers attended the showcase, which placed Ugandan-made clothing at the centre of the experience.

Guinness Smooth supported the event through its Make It Yours campaign, which promotes individuality, creativity and self-expression.

The campaign featured a segment in which members of the audience redesigned clothes that models had worn on the runway.

Some guests added colour, while others changed the shape of the garments or introduced new details. The activity allowed the audience to take part in the creative process instead of watching from a distance.

Guinness Smooth Brand Manager Denise Paula Nazzinda said the partnership aimed to give young people room to express their ideas.

“Through Make It Yours, Guinness Smooth is creating opportunities for young people to express themselves boldly and turn their ideas into something meaningful,” Nazzinda said.

“Speedball has built a community that celebrates originality, collaboration and authentic self-expression. This partnership allowed us to support a platform where young creatives are not only showcasing their talent but also shaping culture through their own stories and perspectives.”

Speedball founder David Mulolo also sought to move the event beyond the traditional fashion runway.

He worked with Joshua Waiswa, also known as Josh SB, and his 360 Immersive team to combine the fashion show with a live orchestra.

The production resembled a stage performance. Lighting, music and measured transitions shaped the models’ movements across the venue.

The orchestra shifted between dramatic film-style music and popular songs. The show later closed with Kanye West and Jay-Z’s N**as in Paris.

The mix of streetwear and orchestral music gave the Kampala event an international feel without taking attention away from the clothes.

Models wore baggy jeans, oversized jackets, cut T-shirts, leather outfits, chains and distressed garments. The designs reflected Speedball’s focus on bold but practical streetwear.

Designers made every garment in Uganda using locally sourced materials.

Mulolo said he wants the “Made in Uganda” label to inspire pride among consumers and strengthen support for local fashion.

“Three years ago, many of us were 17 or 18 years old and had an idea,” Mulolo said after the show.

“Today, we are bringing together large crowds and building something that people believe in. Every piece on that runway was designed and made in Uganda. We want ‘Made in Uganda’ to become something people are proud to wear and support.”

Speedball also plans to increase production, train more young people and support the growth of Uganda’s fashion industry.

“We want to create a space where we can produce more, customise more and train more people,” Mulolo said.

“Every garment people saw was made by a small team. Imagine what could be achieved with more skilled people and better production capacity. That is how we can build a stronger industry and eventually compete on the global stage.”

Music remained part of the experience throughout the evening.

Tracy Noel and Julius Ssese joined the orchestra for a halftime performance featuring songs such as Rihanna’s Rude Boy, Ne-Yo’s Miss Independent and Ayra Starr’s Who’s That Girl.

The orchestra guided the pace of the event and connected fashion with music and popular culture.

Nazzinda said creative platforms can help young Ugandans build communities and gain visibility.

“Creativity has the power to shape culture and open new possibilities,” she said.

“When young people are given the right platforms, they can collaborate, build communities and create experiences that reflect who they are. Speedball Summer showed the confidence and originality that exists within Uganda’s creative scene.”