techno / experimental club · 140 BPM

Electronic music in Kampala, Uganda

Kampala, Uganda, is one of 37 African cities on Pulse, the Sonic Paths map and radio of African electronic music. Its signature sound is techno / experimental club, which we place at 140 BPM (our editorial estimate; the usual range is about 130 to 145). 20 artists and collectives from Kampala are on Pulse, and 25 of their sets play in this page.

On the 3D map

heat 9/1020 artists and collectives25 sets play here2 dated events

Pulse
A Kampala rooftop at dusk, two speakers and a mixer on a stool, cables on the concrete, a shadow on the wall, the hills of the city lit below.

Kampala runs on rotating addresses. A techno night that began at an island party in lockdown now fills rooftops and basements, and Underground Kampala's five-year anniversary went into the basement of the Alliance Française in Bukoto on 6 December 2025. Nyege Nyege Tapes and Hakuna Kulala are run from here. Wild Coffee has carried up to four events in a weekend. Bandali Rise in Bugolobi is the party street. The scene works under the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 and the complaints of churches and police, so the location comes from the organiser, never from us. Come in November. The Nile is 72 kilometres away and the festival is on it.

Written from the sources on this page, not from a visit. The facts, with their dates and sources, follow.

The pulse of Kampala

Pulse gives every city one tempo: the typical tempo of its signature sound. For Kampala that is 140 BPM, techno / experimental club. The usual range of about 130 to 145 is our editorial estimate, not a measured figure.

experimental clubgqomsingelitechnoindustrialAfro-electronic fusion
140BPM · techno / experimental club
usual range, our estimate 130 to 145

Sounds of Kampala

Each sound has its own page: what it is, its tempo where a source gives one, where it comes from and who carried it.

SoundGqom126 to 130 BPMSoundSingeliAbout 200 to 300 BPM

The scene

Kampala is the home base of Nyege Nyege Tapes and Hakuna Kulala, the labels that turned East African club music (singeli, gqom, kuduro, industrial bass) into an export, and it now also has a separate techno layer: Underground Kampala's monthly pop-ups (about 600 people at one 2022 rave) and a wider circle of independent collectives. Mixmag (Mar 2025) says Wild Coffee hosts up to four events a weekend, and RA lists 8 upcoming Ugandan events as of 8 Oct 2026. The scene lives under real legal and social pressure (Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, church and police complaints), so much of it runs on rotating, unadvertised venues.

Why it sits at heat 9
Nyege Nyege hub plus a growing weekly venue circuit (Wild Coffee up to four events a weekend), RA lists 8 Ugandan events on 8 Oct 2026, and Uganda dominates the 2025-26 Nyege lineup; held below 10 by legal risk and a small number of regular venues.

Sets to play

One tap plays here, through the artist's own player. When a set ends, the next Kampala set follows, then Pulse Radio carries on across the continent.

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17 more sets from Kampala are in the radio pool; press play on any artist below.

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Artists and collectives

20 on Pulse from Kampala, 16 with a set that plays here. On the map they sit in a ring around the city, never at an address.

Venues and nights

Only places a source names. "Unclear" means we found the venue but no 2026 event; "last confirmed" is the date of the newest evidence.

  • Wild Coffee unclear · no 2026 evidence found

    Named by Mixmag (Mar 2025) as a venue hosting up to four events per weekend.

    Named by Mixmag in its East Africa infrastructure feature; a 'Wild Coffee Bar' appears on travel listings but no 2026 DJ event found.[1]

  • Caroudjan Bar Bistro unclear · no 2026 evidence found

    Venue for THEROOM RESIDENTE x MIDIHOUSE KAMPALA, Sat 10 Oct (RA).

    Previously on RA's Uganda listings; no 2026 evidence found in searches.[2]

  • Alliance Française Kampala (basement)space · seen December 2025

    Bukoto (Plot 52 Bukoto St)

    Basement that hosted Underground Kampala's five-year anniversary rave on 6 Dec 2025.[3]

  • Underground Kampala (monthly)party · seen August 2024

    Rooftops and basements, venue varies

    Richard O'doi's techno night, monthly; it began during lockdown at an island party and campsites, and now uses rooftops.[4][5]

  • Malkia Collectiveparty · seen August 2024 · one source

    Kampala

    Collective named alongside Underground Kampala and Midnight Tsunami in the city's techno scene.[4]

  • Silo 15club · seen March 2026

    Bandali Rise, Bugolobi

    Party venue on Bandali Rise, the street Pulse Uganda calls the second name of the city's party scene; nights include Sunrise Party and Silo Daycation (genre not specified).[6]

The rooms
The techno scene moved from lockdown island and campsite parties to rooftops, basements and a rooftop-basement hybrid that drew over 750 people; Underground Kampala's anniversary was in a cultural centre basement.[5][3]

Some nights here run at locations the organisers share with their own crowd. We never publish them; follow the organiser's own channels.

Neighbourhoods

  • Kabalagala

    Kampala's club district; Masaka's first techno gig in 2022 was in a Kabalagala basement.[4][7]

  • Bugolobi / Bandali Rise

    Party street with venues such as Silo 15.[6]

  • Kololo and Kisementi

    Bar and lounge districts listed by the Uganda Tourism Board's nightlife guide.[7]

When to go

November, when Nyege Nyege (19-22 Nov 2026) and the African Electronic Music Conference (17-19 Nov) bring artists and visitors through Kampala on the way to the Nile; Underground Kampala's monthly nights run through the year.[8]

Getting there

Airport
Entebbe International Airport (EBB)[9]
Getting around at night
Bolt and Uber both list Kampala.[10][11]

Listen local

Labels, radio shows and archives from Kampala that keep playing after you leave this page.

Collectives and labels

  • Nyege Nyege (Tapes / Hakuna Kulala / Boutiq Studio) ↗

    Founded in Kampala by Arlen Dilsizian and Derek Debru (Boutiq Electroniq club night 2013, collective c. 2015, label launched Dec 2016; Hakuna Kulala imprint 2019 by Don Zilla, Rey Sapienz and Slikback). Now also a booking agency and festival organiser.

  • Underground Kampala ↗

    Formed in 2020 in lockdown; monthly, techno-only pop-up raves, DIY and ticketed; residents Anitraxx, Couscous Collections, Ranger Ray and Thii (per Mixmag). Locations deliberately not published.

  • Midnight Tsunami ↗

    Collective founded by Itsmdnyt, named in Mixmag's East Africa infrastructure piece.

  • East African Records ↗

    Kampala-linked label scene referenced alongside Nyege Nyege.

Coming up

Dates only as the organiser or the trade press published them. All dated festivals on Pulse.

  1. 17 Nov to 19 November 2026African Electronic Music Conference (AEMC), 2nd editionJinja, Uganda · confirmed
  2. 19 Nov to 22 November 2026Nyege Nyege Festival 2026 (11th, Wakaliwood Edition)Jinja (Kalagala Falls), Uganda · confirmed

Before you go

Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 (life imprisonment for homosexuality, death penalty for aggravated homosexuality, up to 20 years for 'promotion') was upheld by the Constitutional Court on 3 Apr 2024, with the duty-to-report, premises-use and HIV-death-penalty clauses struck down. Uganda shut down the internet two days before the Jan 2026 election. Raves face social stigma and church/police complaints (Mixmag). Collectives' venues are never published here; the location comes from the organisers.

Rooms nearby on Sonic Paths

The atlas rooms, dated signals and expeditions closest to Kampala.

RoomThe Jazz SafariKampalaRoomNyege Nyege FestivalKalagala Falls (Jinja) · 72 kmRadarNyege Nyege Festival on the Nile19–22 NovPathKampala: Nile Frequency expeditionKampala to the NileAtlasUganda in the atlas

In The Long Listen

Read before you go

The Long Listen, the Sonic Paths journal →

Questions about Kampala

What electronic music is Kampala known for?

Techno / experimental club, at about 140 BPM. The styles in our data are experimental club, gqom, singeli, techno, industrial. Kampala is the home base of Nyege Nyege Tapes and Hakuna Kulala, the labels that turned East African club music (singeli, gqom, kuduro, industrial bass) into an export, and it now also has a separate techno layer: Underground Kampala's monthly pop-ups (about 600 people at one 2022 rave) and a wider circle of independent collectives.

What tempo is Kampala's signature sound?

140 BPM. The usual range of about 130 to 145 is our editorial estimate, not a measured figure.

Where can I hear electronic music in Kampala?

The places a source names are Wild Coffee, Caroudjan Bar Bistro, Alliance Française Kampala (basement), Underground Kampala (monthly), Malkia Collective. Check each one's status above and the organiser's own channels before you go; some nights share their location late.

What electronic music events are coming up in Kampala?

African Electronic Music Conference, 17 Nov to 19 November 2026; Nyege Nyege Festival 2026, 19 Nov to 22 November 2026. Dates come from the organisers or the trade press.

Which Kampala artists are on Pulse?

Catu Diosis, Chrisman, CR33D, Hibotep, ITSMDNYT, Masaka Masaka, Turkana, Afrorack and 12 more. 16 of them have a set that plays in the page.

When is Nyege Nyege 2026?

Nyege Nyege Festival 2026 (the 11th edition, billed as the Wakaliwood Edition) runs 19 to 22 November 2026 at Kalagala Falls near Jinja, an hour or two from Kampala, with the African Electronic Music Conference in Jinja on 17 to 19 November. Dates are from the organiser, nyegenyege.com.

Sources and nearby scenes

Last checked 20 October 2026 · Send a correction or a tip

  1. 1mixmag.net/feature/east-africa-dance-electronic-music-infrastructure-ecosystem-kenya-uganda-tanzania-blackout-mixmag
  2. 2ra.co/events/ug/all
  3. 3de.ra.co/events/2303961
  4. 4okayafrica.com/kampalas-underground-techno-scene-is-creating-an-outlet-for-freedom/259372
  5. 5publicpressure.org/articles/nairobi-used-to-be-a-techno-hub-now-kampala-has-taken-a-stronghold
  6. 6pulse.ug/story/south-africas-uncool-mc-to-headline-silo-15s-two-year-anniversary-celebrations-2026032415083021146
  7. 7exploreuganda.com/explore-ugandas-guide-to-kampala-nightlife
  8. 8monitor.co.ug/uganda/lifestyle/entertainment/lights-camera-nile-nyege-nyege-2026-sets-stage-for-bigger-cultural-playground-5608702
  9. 9en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entebbe_International_Airport
  10. 10bolt.eu/en/cities
  11. 11uber.com/global/en/r/uganda/cities
  12. 12daily.bandcamp.com/label-profile/nyege-nyege-tapes-feature
  13. 13nts.live/mobile/shows/kampire/episodes/kampire-30th-january-2026
  14. 14ra.co/podcast/996

Nearby on Pulse

All 37 cities on the Pulse hub