Za Nyimbo TV 76 | Ian D’Heygere: Live at Kumbali & Building Malawi’s Biggest Live Music Experience

What does it really take to build a successful live music event in Malawi? On this episode of Za Nyimbo TV, we sit down with Ian D’Heygere, Manager of Kumbali Castle and co-founder of Live at Kumbali, to go behind the scenes of one of Malawi’s most exciting live music experiences. Now heading into its fourth edition, Ian reflects on how Live at Kumbali has grown organically from an event attracting around 400–500 people to something capable of drawing much larger crowds. We talk about: 🎵 The story behind Live at Kumbali 📈 Growing an event organically 🤝 Finding the right partners and service providers 🔊 Why sound quality matters 🎤 Managing artists and sound checks 💰 Working with major sponsors 🎟️ What VIP and VVIP guests actually get 🔥 The introduction of a second stage 🌱 Giving emerging artists a platform 🥊 The future of events at Kumbali 🇲🇼 Celebrating Malawian artists 🎭 Bringing cultural events back to Kumbali 💡 Ian's advice to upcoming event producers This year's event introduces two stages, including a smaller acoustic stage designed to give emerging artists an opportunity to perform in front of a bigger audience. The conversation also reveals the international headliner: Bien from Kenya, formerly of Sauti Sol. And Ian shares one of his biggest lessons after four years of producing the event: Don't try to go too big too quickly. Start small, learn, grow and build your team. 📍 Live at Kumbali 📅 24 October 2026 🎤 Two stages | Local & international artists Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:50 The Story Behind Live at Kumbali 01:05 The Pressure Of Building An Event Brand 01:50 Four Years Of Live at Kumbali 02:13 Lessons From Producing Events In Malawi 03:46 Why Live at Kumbali Added A Second Stage 04:23 Who Is The Headliner? 04:40 Bien Is Coming To Malawi! 05:39 What Does A VIP Ticket Actually Get You? 06:27 The Kumbali Wildlife Experience 07:52 Standard vs VIP vs VVIP 08:30 How Many Artists Are Performing? 09:12 Why Live Music & Hip Hop Matter 09:58 What's Next For Kumbali? 10:29 The Biggest Challenges Behind The Event 12:33 Advice For Upcoming Event Producers 13:09 Ian Speaks Chichewa 😂 14:01 Supporting Malawian Artists 14:19 Where To Get Your Tickets 14:33 Live at Kumbali 2026 15:00 Outro Watch the full conversation and let us know: What do you think makes a great live music event in Malawi? #ZaNyimboTV #LiveAtKumbali #KumbaliCastle #MalawiMusic #MalawiEvents #IanDHeygere Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @zanyimbotv   Welcome to Za Nyimbo, this is where we celebrate art in its entirety and celebrate the musical geniuses making the urban music scene in Malawi exciting. For more Malawian Content, Please Subscribe, Comment and Share Our Content.