{"id":2000115120,"date":"2026-06-09T10:17:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T08:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000115120"},"modified":"2026-06-09T10:17:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T08:17:20","slug":"ub40-ft-ali-campbell-arrive-in-kigali-ahead-of-bk-arena-concert-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/ub40-ft-ali-campbell-arrive-in-kigali-ahead-of-bk-arena-concert-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"UB40 ft. Ali Campbell arrive in Kigali ahead of BK Arena concert (Photos)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The group touched down from South Africa following a highly successful, fast-paced multi-city tour. The band kicked off their southern leg in Cape Town on June 2, moved to Durban on June 4, and wrapped up with back-to-back performances in Pretoria on June 6 and 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The band was originally expected to land in Kigali yesterday, June 8. However, due to the tight logistics of their packed touring schedule, management requested an extra night of rest, pushing their arrival to this morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UB40 was originally formed in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in 1978 by a group of working-class friends who took their name from the British unemployment benefit form. They went on to become one of the most commercially successful reggae acts in history, selling over 70 million records globally with timeless hits like &#8220;Red Red Wine,&#8221; &#8220;Kingston Town,&#8221; and &#8220;Can&#8217;t Help Falling in Love.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Internal disagreements eventually led to a permanent split in the band\u2019s legacy. In 2008, iconic lead vocalist Ali Campbell left the original lineup due to management disputes. Seeking to preserve the classic sound, he launched his own touring version of the group in 2014, known today as UB40 featuring Ali Campbell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This spin-off previously featured original bandmates Mickey Virtue and Terence \u201cAstro\u201d Wilson, the latter of whom sadly passed away in late 2021. Meanwhile, the remaining original members of the 1978 group chose to keep the standard UB40 name, replacing Ali with his brother Duncan Campbell, and later, current vocalist Matt Doyle. That separate entity continues to tour globally with long-standing members like Robin Campbell, Jimmy Brown, Earl Falconer, and Norman Hassan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because of this historic divide, it is strictly UB40 featuring Ali Campbell taking the stage in Kigali tonight, bringing the distinctive voice behind the band&#8217;s greatest studio hits to Rwanda for the very first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For generations of Rwandan music lovers who grew up hearing these songs on local radio stations, in public transport, and at family gatherings, tonight\u2019s performance at the BK Arena represents a massive milestone, bridging nostalgia with a live, world-class production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"960\" data-id=\"2000115126\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/h-47-53758.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000115126\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" data-id=\"2000115125\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/000a4408-3-1dddc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000115125\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Legendary reggae group UB40, featuring Ali Campbell, arrived in Kigali early Tuesday morning ahead of their historic concert at BK Arena tonight.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"800\" data-id=\"2000115124\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/000a4432-ace39.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000115124\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Upon arrival in Kigali, Ali Campbell first took time to greet a small group of journalists who were present at the airport.<br><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"800\" data-id=\"2000115123\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/000a4437-3110b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000115123\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" data-id=\"2000115122\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/000a4475-fc481.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000115122\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"800\" data-id=\"2000115121\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/000a4456-2-d7e2e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000115121\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Legendary reggae group UB40, featuring Ali Campbell, arrived in Kigali early Tuesday morning ahead of their historic concert at BK Arena tonight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000115125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000115120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default 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