GULU OKTOBERFEST SECOND EDITION RETURNS BIGGER

Entrance to the Oktoberfest event venue of last year (File Photo)

By Biko Rombe

Gulu City

Preparations are underway for the second edition of the Gulu City Oktoberfest, with organizers promising a bigger event focused on cultural exchange, local trade, tourism and global friendship.

The 10-day festival is scheduled to run from October 3rd to 13th, 2026, at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City, with organisers saying the grounds are already being prepared to accommodate the different activities.

Walter Okidi Ladwar, Chairperson of the organizing committee, says the festival will bring together cultural groups from across Uganda, with performances representing different communities and traditions.

He says the event will also provide a platform for young contemporary artists to showcase their music alongside established national performers.

Beyond entertainment, organisers are targeting local producers, farmers and manufacturers, encouraging them to use the festival as a market for Ugandan-made products.

Ladwar says farmers will be able to sell produce and planting materials, including coffee, cocoa, mango and orange seedlings, while processors are encouraged to showcase products ready for the market.

The festival will also promote the Buy Uganda Build Uganda initiative, with organisers expecting Ugandan manufacturers to exhibit and sell their products. Ladwar says tractors and motorcycles assembled in Uganda were among the products sold during last year’s event.

Tourism is another major focus, with organisers planning packages for visitors to explore attractions in Northern Uganda, including Murchison Falls, Fort Patiko, Guru-Guru Hills, caves, Aruu Falls and Kidepo National Park.

The festival will also host the Ruparelia Motor Rally on October 9th, alongside bodybuilding, weightlifting and marathon activities, including the Mayor’s Marathon at the opening ceremony.

Pictorials of lasts years’ Oktoberfest motor rally race (File photo)

The festival will officially open on October 3rd with a gala parade through Gulu City, featuring cultural groups and a brass band.

Olum Tonachk Obita, co-chair of the Gulu City Oktoberfest and immediate past president of Rotary Club of Gulu City, says organisers have addressed challenges experienced during last year’s inaugural event, particularly water, electricity, security and allocation of space.

He says discussions are underway with National Water and Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited, UEDCL, while private contractors will also be engaged to provide water and electricity services at the festival grounds.

Obita says improved security arrangements are also being made in collaboration with security teams in the city.

He says the festival is intended to benefit the wider city economy by attracting visitors and investors, which could increase business for hotels, restaurants, boda boda operators and other service providers.

Organisers estimate that more than 50,000 visitors could travel to Gulu and Northern Uganda, creating opportunities for businesses and employment.

Obita says the 2026 theme is “Celebrating Culture and Global Friendship,” reflecting the festival’s original objective of strengthening friendship between Gulu and Munich in Germany, while promoting economic and cultural exchange between Uganda and Germany.

A major difference this year will be the participation of a German cultural group, which will perform traditional Bavarian dances during the first four days of the festival.

Dorcus Kay Elima, a member of Rotary Club of Gulu City and part of the publicity and media team, says vendor registration has already started, with businesses from within and outside Gulu encouraged to participate.

She says a tent will cost at least 500,000 shillings, while a larger tent will cost one million shillings depending on the type of business. Small traders can also form groups of ten and contribute 50,000 shillings each to share a tent.

The legendary Patrick “Salvado” Idringi at Oktoberfest 2025(File Photo)

Elima says organisers have also strengthened security for traders and visitors, including plans to identify boda boda operators transporting festival-goers through name tags and branded jackets to make follow-up easier in case of incidents.

With cultural performances, trade exhibitions, tourism packages, sports, motor racing and international participation planned, organisers are calling on Ugandans to attend, exhibit their products, support local businesses and use the festival as an opportunity to explore Northern Uganda.

The organisers say the 2026 edition is expected to be bigger than last year’s inaugural festival and will provide a platform for communities, businesses and visitors to celebrate culture while building local and international friendships.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis