Diamond headlined the Diamond Platnumz Experience, a concert held at the BK Arena parking grounds on the night of August 29, 2026. The event also featured some of Rwanda’s leading artists, including Bruce Melodie, Nel Ngabo and Ish Kevin, alongside DJs Marnaud, Khizz Beats and Uganda’s DJ Etania.
The Tanzanian star last performed in Kigali in October 2023, and his return drew a large crowd, with many fans arriving hours before the main performance. Some carried placards in the hope of getting a photo with the singer, reflecting the excitement surrounding his return.
The evening got underway with performances by Ish Kevin, who opened the concert with No Cap before performing songs including My Year, Amakosi, Bro Code, Vayo, Clout and Kibasumba. During his set, the rapper was joined on stage by Nigerian artist Timi, KidFromKigali, Ririmba and Og2tone.
Nel Ngabo followed with a 45-minute performance that brought a more relaxed and romantic mood to the evening. Known for his love songs, he performed tracks including Delicious, A La Vie and Nywe, which was warmly received by the audience and closed his set.
Bruce Melodie then took to the stage, performing a string of his popular songs during a 43-minute set. His performance included Bado, Funga Macho, Ikinya, Ikinyafu, Katerina, Izina, Katapilla, Akinyuma, Saa Moya, Munyakazi, Turaberanye, Complete Me, Selebura, Pom Pom, Kungola and Henzapu.
DJ Marnaud and DJ Etania kept the audience entertained as anticipation built for the night’s main act, while Rommy Jones later took to the stage to prepare the crowd for Diamond’s arrival.
At 12:43 a.m., Diamond finally emerged on stage dressed in white, sending the crowd into excitement. He opened with words from Pom Pom, his collaboration with Bruce Melodie, before moving into his 2024 hit Komasava.
For more than an hour, Diamond combined his hit songs with energetic dance routines alongside his dancers, as fans sang along and danced to the music. His performance demonstrated not only his ability to command a stage but also the connection he has maintained with his audience in Kigali during his nearly three-year absence.
The performance, however, came to an unexpected end at 2:02 a.m. when the equipment on stage was switched off while Diamond was still performing. The singer had been on stage for about one hour and 20 minutes and was still entertaining the crowd when the show was brought to a halt, leaving him unable to bid farewell to his fans.
Despite the abrupt ending, the Diamond Platnumz Experience gave Kigali music lovers a memorable night, marked by performances from some of the region’s popular artists and the long-awaited return of one of East Africa’s most celebrated stars.
🚨 Diamond yaririmbye Why yakoranye na The Ben
— IGIHE (@IGIHE) August 29, 2026
Ubwo yari amaze kuririmba iyi ndirimbo, Chibude yavuze ko The Ben ari muri Uganda, akaba ari yo mpamvu atabonetse ngo bafatanye kuyiririmba ariko ashimangira ko ari inshuti magara kandi bafashanya muri byinshi.#IGIHEKulture
🎥:… pic.twitter.com/SyVwWn8oig
Leave a Reply