Last evening I was assigned to cover a rather "strange” event: Strange, in that as the editor handed down the assignment to me, she asked to know if I had any "sparkling white” attire in my closet.

Why? The event I was going to is called Dîner en Blanc. That’s right. An all-white dinner party.

Originally from Paris, France, where Frenchman François Pasquier staged the very first Dîner en Blanc event, it first came to Rwanda in 2012, and was hosted in Gacuriro.

The event is all about hundreds, or thousands of people descending upon a secret outdoor location to wine, dine and socialise, all dressed completely in white! It’s an invite-only affair, and is all about class, elegance and style.

Organisers remained tight-lipped about the venue, which they only divulged minutes to the occasion, as participants boarded pre-arranged buses to the venue.

The rule of thumb for the party is white outfits for all participants. Groups must also carry their own food and drinks.

But this year’s Dîner en Blanc was more than just fine-dining. Organisers sought to harness the event to become part of the fabric of the country’s MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and events) tourism strategy and to promote local businesses and entrepreneurs as prescribed by the Rwanda Development Board.

The Dîner en Blanc is just one among the newer entrants onto Kigali’s ever-growing social events scene.

Ubumuntu Arts Festival

Even newer is the art-centric Ubumuntu Arts Festival, which debuted for two days (July 11-12) at the amphitheater of the Kigali Memorial Center in Gisozi. 

Organised by the Mashirika Performing Arts and Media Company and held under the theme, "One world. One problem. One solution”, the festival attracted performing groups and volunteers from 13 countries across the globe. 

The festival’s creator, Hope Azeda of Mashirika picked her inspiration from the huge role that art and theater played in Rwanda’s post-genocide recovery. So in a way, it was Mashirika’s way of presenting theater as an efficient form of communicating, expressing opinions and sharing values about all things that affect humanity. 

For two nights, the festival provided catharsis for festival-goers, challenging them on the very notion of their humanity –"to bridge the gap between being a human being, and being human”. Performances were punctuated by such pronouncements as "I am because you are. You are because I am. Together, we are human”.

Gisenyi Summer Beach Festival

A week after the Ubumuntu Arts Festival, in the northern town of Gisenyi, party-goers from Rwanda and beyond descended onto the shores of Lake Kivu for the third edition of the Summer Beach Fest. 

The brainchild of DJ Africano of PromoAfrica Communications, the festival basically seeks to unveil to Rwandans and international visitors the hidden tourism gems that are Gisenyi and Lake Kivu. 

The first and second editions of the festival were held at the more modest Tamu Tamu beach, also in Gisenyi. 

The following year, the festival secured a premium venue and sponsor; the Lake Kivu Serena Resort, and Heineken respectively. 

In starting the festival, DJ Africano wanted people, especially Africans to get to know each other more. 

"Sometimes you are out there and you hear questions like "Where is Rwanda? Is Rwanda in Botswana?” So I felt like people need to know each other as Africans.”

"Not everyone who comes to Rwanda knows that there’s a beautiful place three hours away from Kigali where you can find a beautiful beach. Also for those who live in Rwanda, we wanted them to develop a culture of leaving Kigali and going to relax their minds out of town.”

Rwanda Film Festival

The following day, July 19, the eleventh edition of the Rwanda Film Festival was launched at the Kigali Serena Hotel. 

The longest running festival from the list, the Rwanda Film Festival needs little introduction. 

The festival’s principle mandate is to present the most outstanding films produced in every part of the world, and promote awareness, appreciation and understanding of the art of cinema in Rwanda.

KigaliUp Music Festival

The KigaliUp music festival was up next, at Amahoro Stadium.

The festival is the brainchild of Juno Award-winning Rwandan artist, Popo Murigande, better known as Mighty Popo. After attending a string of Folk Music Festivals in Canada where he was based, Popo decided to bring the idea home. 

KigaliUp is largely a celebration of the continent’s diverse musical traditions that range from traditional folk music, blues, hip hop, funk and reggae.

The first festival was held in September 2011, in the Kimihurura Roundabout at Primature Park in Kigali.

This year’s festival was headlined by BET award-winning Ugandan artiste Eddy Kenzo, and Kenyan band, Sauti Sol.

Barge Party

Two weeks after KigaliUp, festival enthusiasts were again Gisenyi-bound, this time for the third edition of the annual Barge Party. 

The event brought two distinct floating parties on a boat, on the lake, to Gisenyi, including a ‘Fun in the Sun’ day-time cruise, and a ‘Tidal Rave’ night-time cruise. Both parties were held on the N.V. Asante vessel and set sail from the main pier of Gisenyi public beach. 

The 40-meter barge, typically used to carry beer throughout the Kivu region - was transformed into a specially fitted party boat featuring multiple dance platforms across the main deck and a relaxing lounge area at the bow of the boat.

Previously held in Kibuye, the 2015 edition of the Barge Party was relocated to Gisenyi, due to the area’s stronger tourism infrastructure.

The Barge Party People, a group of adventure-event planners, and Kurema, Kureba, Kwiga, a public-art social-enterprise, organised the event.

FESPAD

Held every two years in Rwanda, the Pan-African Dance Festival (FESPAD) was set up by the 67th council of ministers of the former African Union Organization OAU in February 1998. The festival aims at bringing together the African people so as to take an active role in the social, political, economic and cultural development of the continent. 

Specifically in Rwanda’s case, it’s an occasion to showcase the country as a must-visit dance destination. 

The festival was first held in Kigali in 2010, and headlined by American R&B sensation Lauryn Hill.

Kigali Fashion Week

This fashion event takes place twice every year, as a platform to promote Rwandan fashion and modeling; the event attracts international attention with both designers and models from across the globe. 

The first edition of the Kigali Fashion Week was held in December 2013 at T2000 building (Rooftop Bar).

This wasn’t actually a fashion week per se, but rather a series of loosely connected fashion events.

"After the first attempt, we realised the need to sell the idea aggressively to the public with a view to changing perceptions about fashion,” John Bunyeshuli, the founder and CEO House of Fashion, the organizers of Kigali Fashion Week told me at the time.

This year, the event attracted three international designers after the appointment of Kigali Fashion Week as a permanent board member of the Commonwealth Fashion Council in London early this year.

Miss Rwanda

The first post Genocide Miss Rwanda beauty pageant was held in 2009, and Grace Bahati emerged winner. After this, Kigali socialites poised themselves for the biggest event on the city’s social calendar. 

But alas! Bahati’s reign soon degenerated into scandal: She not only left shortly for the US for studies, but also soon fell pregnant, contrary to pageant rules. 

The next Miss Rwanda beauty pageant would then wait three years –to be held in 2012. Ms Aurore Mutesi Kayibanda took the honors. 

Another year had to be skipped, before Colombe Akiwacu became Miss Rwanda, in February 2014. 

This year’s Miss Rwanda is Doriane Kundwa, who won the crown in one of the competitive beauty pageants in the country.

Primus Guma Guma Super Star

This one too needs no introductions! The Primus Guma Guma Superstar competition brings together the best of Rwanda’s local artists and engages the whole nation in a marathon musical extravaganza.

Sponsored by Bralirwa’ Primus brand, the show distinguishes itself from other music talent contests by bringing known talent to tussle it out before the audience for a cash prize. 

The contest was first held in 2011, with Tom Close emerging winner. Subsequent contests have been won by King James, Riderman, and Jay Polly, in that order.

Kwita Izina

This is one event that truly espouses a national (even international) aura about it: Every year, as many as 40,000 people descend upon Kinigi village in Musanze district to name and celebrate all known mountain gorillas born the previous year.

At the ceremony, hand-picked dignitaries from Rwanda and around the world take turns to bestow names upon the baby primates. Some of the most high-profile foreign dignitaries that have named a baby gorilla include former US president Bill Clinton, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. 

But beyond just gorillas, Kwita Izina has been lauded as a celebration of the new Rwanda and all that is good about it, let alone the tireless conservation efforts to save the critically endangered mountain gorilla.