For a growing number of Nairobi’s young creatives and professionals, the weekend ritual is shifting. Rather than another night out in the city, they’re heading for the conservancy — for bonfires, DJ sets under an open sky, and the slow, social rhythm that a proper escape allows. Geco Hangout, now returning for its latest edition, is at the centre of that shift.
Organised by Geco Tribe — the collective behind Geco Cafe, one of Nairobi’s most community-minded cultural spaces — the Hangout runs from Saturday 1st to Sunday 2nd May at Lukenya Conservancy, a site known for its striking rock formations and wide-open landscape less than an hour from the city.
A Hangout, Not a Festival
The distinction matters to the organisers. Where a festival might pack its schedule with back-to-back programming, Geco Hangout is designed with breathing room. Music plays as the sun goes down. Bonfires keep the night going. Conversations happen. By Sunday morning, guests ease into the landscape before heading home — having fit an entire weekend away into a single overnight.
DJ sets and live performances sit alongside food and bar experiences, outdoor games and open social spaces, giving guests the freedom to move between music and the outdoors on their own terms. It’s part music event, part camping trip, part gathering of people who want something more than a standard night out.
The Lineup
The bill brings together some of Kenya’s most exciting names alongside a pair of South African acts: Case, Big Nyagz, Mackinlay & Orchestre De Lá Rhumba, Brian Sigu, Ayrosh, Wyre, Koko Koseso, Kasiva Mutua, Mack Lean x Fadhilee, Naak (SA), Mikey (SA), Afula x Kamushez, Hiribae, Tina Ardor, Euggy, Iborian, and Wandat x Sendz.
Part of Something Bigger
Geco Hangout arrives at a moment when destination events are becoming a defining feature of Nairobi’s cultural calendar. As urban life grows busier, many are seeking experiences that bundle travel, music, food and nature into a single shared weekend.
Geco Hangout has become one of the more accomplished examples of this format — known for drawing a diverse, creatively engaged crowd into an environment that feels genuinely considered.
Attendance options have been structured to suit different preferences, with solo camping packages, shared tent options, a bring-your-own-tent route and non-camping day passes all available.
Mateus Finato of Geco Tribe sums up the vision: “Geco has always been about creating space for music to breathe and for artists to be seen and heard in a way that feels honest. With Geco Hangout, we wanted to bring that same energy into the open, set against the landscape of Lukenya, where the environment itself becomes part of the experience. It’s about championing the music scene in Kenya while creating something that feels both grounded and expansive.”
Geco Hangout takes place 1st–2nd May at Lukenya Conservancy. Tickets are available via gecotribe.hustlesasa.shop.
