As anticipation builds toward the third edition of the Kilele Summit, set to take place from February 23 to 28, 2026, the East African music and culture community finds itself reflecting on the journey that has brought the summit to this moment. Since its inception, Kilele has positioned itself as more than a convening, it is a living ecosystem where music, technology, and culture converge, collide, and co-create new possibilities.

The previous two editions of Kilele Summit introduced audiences to a bold and often unconventional community of creatives. These were musicians, technologists, sound artists, researchers, and cultural practitioners whose curiosity once placed them on the margins labelled “weird,” experimental, or simply unable to assimilate into rigid, conventional structures. At Kilele, those very traits became assets. The summit created space for misfits to become architects, and for curiosity to be recognised as a critical force in shaping the future of sound and culture in East Africa.

As planning began for the 2026 edition, the Kilele team took time to interrogate what had emerged from those early gatherings. What patterns were forming? What conversations continued long after the stages were dismantled and the studios packed up? The answer lay in a deeper understanding of how intertwined music, culture, and technology truly are and how dependent they are on one another to sustain a healthy, forward-looking creative ecosystem. From this reflection emerged the 2026 theme: Sound and Solidarity.

At its core, Sound and Solidarity speaks to the invisible threads that bind communities together. East Africa, like many regions across the world, is shaped by layers of culture that go far beyond tribe or race. Culture is found in the routes we take to work, the matatus or boda bodas we rely on, the neighbourhoods we gather in after hours, the slang we share, and the rhythms of everyday life. These seemingly minute details accumulate, forming living cultures that are constantly evolving. Sound, whether music, noise, language, or silence, becomes the glue that holds these experiences together.

Kilele Summit 2026 will explore how sound not only reflects culture but actively builds solidarity within and across communities. From collaborative performances and recording sessions to workshops, talks, and showcases, the summit will examine how technology amplifies these connections, enabling new forms of expression, preservation, and collective action. In a time marked by fragmentation and rapid technological change, Kilele positions sound as a grounding force, one that fosters belonging while encouraging experimentation.

The upcoming announcement of artists for the 2026 edition is expected to reflect this ethos. Artists and practitioners from across East Africa and beyond will be revealed, representing a wide spectrum of disciplines and perspectives. What unites them is not genre or background, but a shared commitment to pushing boundaries and imagining new futures for sound and culture.

As February 2026 approaches, Kilele Summit continues to assert itself as a vital platform for those shaping the region’s creative landscapes. Rooted in East Africa yet globally connected, the summit invites us to listen more closely to our environments, to each other, and to the sounds that bind us in solidarity.