The organisers of Blankets & Wine, GoodTimes Africa, have stopped short of issuing a public apology following widespread criticism of the September edition of the festival, which many fans described as shambolic.
The organisers, who failed to deliver on several of their promises, have blamed network congestion and other logistical issues for the poor experience, particularly within the VIP section, which was marketed as an exclusive 'Soft Life' event.
Expectations were high for Hennessy Terrace ticket holders, each of whom paid Sh12,000. Festival promotions promised reserved seating with private tables, dedicated bar service, prime stage views and an exclusive lounge where guests could mingle with the performing artists.
“Soft Life, we guarantee the exclusivity of an experience and you will love it,” declared Muthoni the Drummer Queen, Blankets & Wine’s founder, in one of the event’s promotional videos.
But for many, that ‘soft life’ turned out to be a damp squib. Frustrated VIP guests complained about poor bar service, sound delays and long queues, describing the whole experience as sub-standard.
One disgruntled fan even filed a formal complaint with the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK), accusing the organisers of unfair trade practices and misleading consumers.
After nearly two weeks of public backlash, GoodTimes Africa issued a detailed statement addressing the outcry, though notably, without an explicit apology.
The organisers admitted that the event was marred by poor sound quality, delayed performances, slow bar service, limited water availability and network failures, and that it fell short in many respects.
“The frustration around the bar service, including the online pre-order system, was caused in part by network congestion that significantly slowed mobile money payments. Operational bottlenecks also led to delays in activating redundancy plans from the bar operations team.”
