Moto Moto Festival 2025: Zimbabwe’s Cultural Fire Ignites Cologne

Southerton Business Times
Jul 10
3 min read

Moto Moto Festival poster with bold white text on black background. Date: 19 July 2025, Köln, Germany. Geometric border pattern. — Moto Moto Festival Poster

This July, the rhythmic heart of Zimbabwe will beat in the industrial soul of Cologne, Germany. From 19 July 2025, Odonien Koln will come alive with the colour, sound, and spirit of the Moto Moto Festival—a bold, blazing celebration of Zimbabwean music, art, and culture.

More than just a music event, the Moto Moto Festival has evolved into a creative exchange platform—a cultural export machine curating Zimbabwe’s finest talent for the global stage. With a lineup that fuses tradition, Afro-futurism, raw lyricism, and pulsating dancehall, this year’s edition is set to ignite Europe’s summer scene.

From the Zambezi to the Rhine: A Star-Studded Lineup Topping the bill is Mokoomba, the six-man musical hurricane from Victoria Falls. Known for their explosive Afro-grooves and hypnotic energy, their set promises to be both spiritual and electrifying. Sharing the stage is Afro-Fusion queen Feli Nandi, whose voice—already celebrated across Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the UK—continues to echo across borders.

For hip-hop lovers, AWA Khiwe brings fierce Ndebele bars and activist spirit. “We’re telling stories our grandmothers whispered, but on beats that boom through Berlin,” she once told a crowd in Amsterdam.

New-school firebrand Nisha Ts, riding high on Zimbabwe’s biggest hit of the year, will set the stage ablaze with her signature blend of dancehall and feminine grit. Joining her is WOWRAE, a marimba prodigy redefining Afro-house by fusing EDM and traditional instrumentation into a kinetic sonic experience.

Also on the bill are mbira songstress Mary Anibal, Afro-fusion poet Mwenje Mathole, Cologne-based crooner Munashe Lorraine, and crowd favourites including Solah x Keith, DJ Hanief, DJ Blaze, and Merciless Zim. From chimurenga-infused ballads to amapiano bangers, the Moto Moto stage promises to showcase every shade of Zimbabwe’s soundscape.

A Creative Ecosystem, Not Just a Concert In a statement to Southerton Business Times, festival curator Plot Mhako emphasized that Moto Moto is far more than a performance showcase. “The Moto Moto Festival is designed to be a cultural export platform. We’re creating direct exposure to new audiences, collaborators, and industry players. Over time, we believe the festival will strengthen Zimbabwe’s brand as a hub of unique, world-class musical talent,” Mhako said.

Workshops, masterclasses, and mentorship sessions will run alongside performances. Artists like Mwenje Mathole and Munashe Lorraine are not just getting stage time—they’re receiving career-shaping opportunities, networking with industry veterans, and technical support from professional production teams. “One of Moto Moto’s core values is artist development. We’re not just booking acts, we’re building careers,” Mhako added.

Success Stories Born of Fire and a Pan-African Vision AWA Khiwe, now touring Europe regularly and featured in major festivals, started as an underground voice in Bulawayo. Mokoomba, once the pride of Victoria Falls, is now a globally recognised act. These artists—Moto Moto alumni—highlight the festival’s power as a springboard for Zimbabwean talent.

Behind the scenes, Moto Moto is forging partnerships with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NAMA), artist managers, promoters, and international cultural organizations. This collaborative model ensures that artists not only gain performance exposure but also long-term growth pathways. “We collaborate with both public and private stakeholders. We’re not just creating a weekend of performances—we’re building a movement,” Mhako explained.

At its core, Moto Moto is a cultural archive in motion. With performances by traditional artists like Mary Anibal and the marimba-driven energy of WOWRAE, the festival preserves and projects Zimbabwe’s heritage amid an era of digital erasure. Attendees will also experience Zimbabwe’s fashions, culinary arts, and crafts—from sadza and mabhonzo to innovative German-Zim fusion food experiments.

Looking ahead, the festival has an ambitious Pan-African vision. Plans are underway to transform Moto Moto into a travelling showcase, with sister events in Zimbabwe and other European cities. An artist residency program and an incubation hub for export-ready talent are also in development. “Moto Moto is a fire—a fire of African creativity, collaboration, and cultural pride. And Zimbabwe is at the heart of it,” Mhako stated.

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