Chris Brown’s Nairobi Concert and Its Challenges

With barely two weeks to go and scanty confirmation that American RnB and Pop singer Chris Brown will indeed perform in Nairobi, fans are giving up hope on seeing what would have been one of the biggest international artistes to set foot on Kenyan soil.

Earlier last month, Kenyans were delighted to be welcomed back to the league of entertainment destinations that matter to the A-listers of the multi-billion dollar global industry. With countless other artistes such as Sean Paul and Rick Ross having snubbed the country for either her neighbours in the region or the other continental heavyweights, Kenya received somewhat a bumper harvest at the tail end of 2012.


The likes of Jah Cure, Zonke, Popcaan, Keri Hilson, Erykah Badu and Akon all confirmed scheduled performances in Nairobi in a span of two months and the city could proudly boast her position again as not just the economic hub of the region, but also the entertainment portal.



One of the biggest challenges however of working with the international celebrities has been short notice confirmation. Given that you would want to charge the audience sums in excess of Kshs. 5,000 for a regular ticket, proper and extensive marketing has to be carried out, with preparation (and saving) on the part of those who wish to attend.

With barely two weeks left to Chris Brown’s (rumoured) concert in Nairobi, everyone is uncertain of the ticket prices and the venues, and this could have its very own serious implications on the success of a would-be concert, even with the star power that Mr. Brown has.

A spot check on his Carpe DiemWorld Tour Africa leg dates would show that even though an East African leg of the concert has been rumoured, the only solid dates on his calendar are for South African cities. On December 15th he’ll be in Johannesburg at the Coca Cola Dome, on December 17th, Brown will be at the Moses Mabhida Stadium and Durban and wrap up the tour of the country in Cape Town with two performances at the Grand West Arena on December 19th and 20th.

Other local media like the Star have cited security and logistical issues as some of the concerns that might make a Chris Brown concert in Nairobi on the 22nd of December difficult. The South African tour dates were confirmed at the end of September 2012.