Online Reporter
Mthabisi Tshuma
Zimpapers Arts, Entertainment Hub
ONE of Zimbabwe’s longest-running events of urban culture, Shoko Festival, will this year mark a landmark 15th edition which will be held from September 25 to 27.
Running under the theme “The Legacy XV,” the edition celebrates 15 years of pushing artistic boundaries, celebrating creative free expression and elevating urban culture in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Shoko Festival coordinator Vera Chisvo said they have a groundbreaking international collaboration with UK-based artistic related organisations.
“We have partnered Arcadia, which is a purpose-driven collective of artistes and makers transforming remnants of conflict hardware into unifying art and iconic experiences,” said Chisvo.
The collaboration also includes In Place of War, a global organisation that supports artistes, creatives and cultural organisations in conflict and crisis zones. This pioneering collaboration will see the roll out of the Build The Peace project at Shoko 2025, a pilot initiative involving a creative exchange between Zimbabwe and the UK that’s all about amplifying hope and community unity.
A mural co-designed by young Zimbabwean and UK urban artistes which was showcased at the UK’s biggest music festival, Glastonbury, in June 2025, will come to Shoko’s Peace in the Hood event in Chitungwiza in September 2025.
This collaborative project is timely in a world where headlines across the globe are becoming more and more about war and hostility.
“The project is a clarion call for peace in communities, using art and culture as vehicles for positive transformation,” said Chisvo.
As per tradition, she said the festival will be held in Harare and Chitungwiza.
Chisvo said this year’s line-up continues the legacy with some unforgettable names set to be announced in due course.
Comedy lovers are in for a rib-cracking treat with the return of Zimbabwean comedy heavyweight King Kandoro, who has been conquering stages across the globe on his comedy tour. King Kandoro’s appearance at Shoko Festival 2025 marks a highly anticipated homecoming that fans won’t want to miss as he brings his internationally acclaimed tour back to Zimbabwe.
More acts will be confirmed as festival dates approach, but hip hop lovers are in for a treat with Bagga set to take to the stage.
Bagga fans will be treated to the artist’s new offering, which is set to be released a month before the festival. Zim Hip Hop 2024 Best Newcomer award winner and hitmaker Runna Rulez will grace the Shoko Stage along with Zimbabwe’s rising Zim Dancehall chanter, Madedido, whose music has been influencing a new generation of urban artistes in Zimbabwe.
“Shoko Festival 2025 line-up of performances will also include man of the moment, Jnr Spragga, who has been topping charts and dominating the trending lists on streaming platforms with his single titled “MaRulez,” and will bring the Soul Jah Love reincarnation to Shoko Festival 2025 with his dynamic stage presence,” said Chisvo.
