The Haus of Kühl event, which ran from 6 pm to 4 am, was a celebration of music, fashion, and art, attracting a young and excited audience. The event featured a lineup of over 30 Kenyan DJs and performers, including DJ Lyta, who performed Kenyan old-school favourites such as E-Sir and Beenie Man in the Dancehall segment. Singer Iyanah opened the night on the main stage, while dancers Ian Tico and Thee Iconic added movement to the programme.
The event's fashion aspect was a major draw, with attendees showcasing their personal style through wide-leg jeans, tiny skirts, small tops, and deliberately put-together party looks. Fashion collectives, including Pesos and Nyumbani, displayed and sold their work at the fashion bay, adding a touch of Kenya's evolving style to the event. The fashion offerings included graphics and upcycled fashion from the Makasi brand.
The venue, Sk8City, was divided into distinct spaces, catering to different tastes and preferences. Those who needed a break from the music could retreat to a quieter area and recharge their phones at a charging dock, while those looking for a different music experience moved to the silent disco. The Game Zone accommodated those looking for a little bit of physical fun with their friends or partners.
The event was not without its interruptions, as a technical glitch briefly stopped DJ Lyta's set. However, the interruption barely dented the mood, as the audience cheered and oooh'ed as MCs Mariah and Sameer Bry continued to hype the crowd through the disruption. The official lineup included a diverse range of DJs and performers, such as Basthma, Burugu, Coco Kahi, and DJ Mani.
Haus of Kühl was launched in South Africa in 2023 by Jägermeister as a platform bringing together music, fashion, art, and nightlife. The concept has since been staged in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town, with its events combining multiple music stages with fashion activations, art, and other experiences. Its arrival in Nairobi introduces the concept to a different creative market, one with its own rapidly changing music, fashion, and nightlife scenes.
Ephraim Manana Snr, Culture & Experiential Marketing Manager at Jägermeister, said that the event's curation aimed to create an experience that goes beyond music and brings together the many different worlds that make culture what it is. Nairobi's cultural identity has never been static, with its music scene continuing to shift between gengetone, hip-hop, electronic music, Afro-house, dancehall, and Zilizopendwa.
The Nairobi edition of Haus of Kühl marks a new chapter for the concept, and potentially a test of how its identity translates outside its original market. By the time the event was winding down at 4 am, the experiment had brought together the sounds, clothes, performances, and social spaces that increasingly define Nairobi's youth culture. The long-term identity of Haus of Kühl in Nairobi will depend on what organisers do with Nairobi's youth culture.
Key points
- Haus of Kühl brings together music, fashion, art, and nightlife in a celebration of youth culture.
- The event features a diverse lineup of over 30 Kenyan DJs and performers.
- Haus of Kühl marks an expansion of the concept from South Africa to Nairobi, introducing it to a new creative market.
