On June 7th, Nairobi gathers once again for Blankets & Wine. This is a festival that has grown into one of the city’s most recognizable cultural rhythms. More than a live music event, it is a shifting map of sound, taste, and collective energy. A place where genres blur, scenes overlap, and new musical languages are constantly being written in real time.
This year’s June edition unfolds across the Live Stage and the Onja Onja Stage, each carrying its own sonic identity — one rooted in performance and songwriting, the other in movement, rhythm, and deep groove culture.
FAVE — The Headline Voice
From viral freestyles to international recognition, FAVE stands as one of Afropop’s most captivating contemporary voices. Her music moves with emotional clarity — soft yet commanding, intimate yet expansive carried by standout records like Baby Riddim, Beautifully, and Controlla.
Her presence anchors the June edition with a sound that lingers long after it fades.
Watendawili — Rooted Future Sound
Watendawili are shaping a distinct Afro-fusion language from Nairobi. The duo — Onyach Pala and Ywaya Tajiri — weave together R&B, soul, Afrobeat, and Luo musical traditions into a sound that feels both grounded and forward-facing.
With tracks like Cham Thum (Atoti), Sio Siri, and Beba, their rise reflects a growing global appetite for music that is local in spirit but expansive in reach.
Mutoriah — The Architect of Atmosphere
Mutoriah moves between roles: producer, artist, and sonic experimenter. His work sits at the intersection of electronic music, Afro-fusion, and global pop — crafted with precision but always leaving space for surprise.
Live, his sets unfold like unfolding thought — layered, textured, and deeply felt. The kind of performance that doesn’t just play to the crowd, but reshapes it.
Labdi — Tradition, Rewired
Labdi draws from the rhythmic heritage of Kenyan Ohangla and reframes it through a contemporary lens. What emerges is a sound that is both familiar and newly imagined — rooted in lineage, yet aimed firmly forward.
Her performance is less about revival and more about translation: culture moving through time without losing its pulse.
DJ Paps — The Energy Curator
DJ Paps returns to the Onja Onja Stage with a reputation already written into Nairobi’s nightlife memory. His sets move with instinct — smooth transitions, sudden explosions, and a flow that feels almost narrative in structure.
He doesn’t just play music. He builds momentum. And then breaks it open at exactly the right moment.
Sir M & The Kaneda — Crowd Memory in Motion
Two selectors. One shared instinct: move the crowd.
On June 7th, Sir M and The Kaneda come together in a B2B set rooted in Afrobeats and Kenyan sound culture — a blend that moves effortlessly between nostalgia and the now. Their sound is built on familiarity, but shaped for the present moment: recognisable, reimagined, and designed for movement.
Expect a journey through eras — the songs you grew up on, the records currently running your playlists, and the Afrobeats anthems that continue to define the continent’s dance floors.
This is music made for collective response. For singing without hesitation. For transitions that shift energy mid-air. For that shared feeling of being exactly where you’re supposed to be.
OneDown — Deep House as Language
On the Onja Onja Stage, OneDown brings a deep house philosophy shaped over years of curation and sonic exploration. Known for immersive Afro and Deep House sets, his approach is intentional — built on layered basslines, atmospheric melodies, and a steady emotional pull.
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