Spooky beats and electric vibes: Inside Naxouse’s halloween third anniversary bash

I finally attended my first ever Naxouse event: a Halloween party held at Top Cliff Lodge to celebrate its third anniversary. I went along hoping for an unforgettable experience, and I'm thrilled to say that it not only met that expectation, but completely surpassed it.

From the moment I stepped onto the grounds, I could sense the excitement in the air. It was clear that I was in for a special night. After stepping into the main area I realised that I had completely missed the Halloween memo, and that my normal clothes stood out amongst the incredible array of costumes.

But my lack of theme didn't matter. While still waiting to get my ticket, I found myself swaying and dancing, pulled in by the contagious energy vibrating from the main tent. Inside, the crowd was fully committed everyone was on their feet, moving to the hypnotic beats and singing along.

What instantly captured my attention was the revellers' sheer creativity. Their dedication to the theme was magnificent. One guy's full Joker face paint was particularly striking, it was both eerie and seriously impressive. Beyond the visuals, the party was refreshingly interactive musically.

Shakers were distributed throughout the venue, enabling everyone to become a rhythmic part of the performance. The atmosphere was electric, with people completely immersed in the moment and genuinely enjoying themselves. A live percussionist added another magical dimension, his rhythm complementing the DJs' sets perfectly to create an incredibly wholesome and effortless house music experience.

The event was a marathon of sound, running from 2pm well into the early hours of the morning. African Plato set the tone, followed by relentless, high-energy performances from Hunta Ke, Giggx the Entertainer, Aries, Mayakaze and Domino One, who brought the curtain down on the midnight hour.

The tempo never dropped, with Mura taking over until 3am and paving the way for MGM, then finally Wandat. Dusk Plato & Friends then closed the night at 4:30am, leaving the crowd buzzing.

Impressively, even with this massive turnout, the logistics were smooth. The vending section offered quick service and diverse options, and a photo booth captured the night’s best moments.

I caught up with Ben Muragugiri, the co-director of Naxouse, who said that reaching the third anniversary was testament to the growth of the house music community in Nakuru.

"It was wonderful to see so many people come out to party and dress according to the theme," he said.

He was especially proud of the development of local talent. A year ago, most of their DJs were booked from Nairobi, but now he proudly says, "Nakuru has close to ten active DJs." 

This event featured around 40 percent Nakuru DJs, demonstrating significant progress towards their goal of nurturing local talent and transforming the city’s entertainment landscape.

Looking ahead, he promised that Naxouse would continue to push boundaries and bring even bigger things to Nakuru. As for me, the answer is a resounding yes I will definitely be back! Next time, I’ll be singing along to every beat, and most importantly, I'll be showing up in a proper Halloween costume!