Over Easter weekend, Carnivore Grounds in Nairobi became the stage for Nyashinski’s first-ever residency, a bold experiment in Kenyan live performance. The “Showman Residency,” running April 4 through April 12, is a seven-show spectacle that blends music, theatre, dance, acrobatics, and film into nearly three hours of immersive storytelling. For Nyashinski, one of Kenya’s most celebrated hip-hop and R&B artists, it marks a milestone as his debut residency and the first of its kind in Nairobi.
The Carnivore was transformed into something closer to Broadway than a concert ground. Fans arrived expecting a show but left with an experience that tugged at their heartstrings and took their visual sense into overdrive.
Social media is still buzzing with praise for the way Nyashinski honoured fallen Gen Zs, how the visuals on towering screens transported audiences beyond the venue, and how the unusual comfort of mixed seating encouraged strangers to interact and socialise.
Lead guitarist Peti Masupo plays his guitar while being suspended in the air in Nyashinski's Showman Residency at Carnivore Grounds on April 5, 2026.
Photo credit: Thomas Rajula | Nation
Unlike typical concerts, there was no DJ warm-up and no afterparty wind-down. The show began at 8 p.m. sharp, and when the credits rolled across the screens at 11 pm, the crowd lingered, reluctant to believe it was over.
“Every time Nyashinski comes up with ideas, my mind gets blown,” said Fakii Liwali, the event director and Nyashinski’s manager. “My job is to make sure the budget stays manageable.”
Homeboyz Entertainment signed on as technical partner, providing stage, sound, lighting, screens, microphones, generators, barriers, and film crews. They even offered rehearsal space at their Muchai Drive studios, where Nyashinski’s team spent a month preparing. For the final two weeks, they built a replica of the Carnivore stage to ensure precision. The partnership saved the production an estimated Sh20 million.
Tickets were priced at Sh3,500 for regular shows, with attendance capped at 3,000 per night to allow for comfort and immersion in a venue that could normally hold 10,000 people. For the Sunday shows (April 5 and 12) they scheduled family-friendly shows where children would tag along and enjoy. On April 8, a VIP night offered 1,000 ticket holders premium seating, a Carnivore dinner, and select drinks for Sh20,000.
The opening Saturday show sold out, and Sunday drew more than 2,000. Liwali said even 1,000 per show would be considered success, so by that measure, the residency is already a triumph.
The scale of Nyashinski’s vision for the residency is staggering and bold. It features five actors, 10 dancers, an aerial silk performer, two skaters, two fire breathers, stilt walkers, a 19-member choir, and a full band, all coordinated by a crew of 25. Few spaces bring together choirs, acrobats, actors, and skaters, and fewer still make them collaborate seamlessly. Yet that is the ambition of the “Showman Residency.”
Residencies allow artistes to build elaborate, customised shows in one venue rather than touring. The most famous and highest paying residencies in the world are the Las Vegas residencies, which typically last several months or years and have been graced in by Bruno Mars, Adele, Usher, JLo, Doja Cat, and Lisa of BLACKPINK.
Nyashinski’s Nairobi residency is a local adaptation of that model, scaled to Kenyan realities but no less daring.
“My inspiration to do a show that’s like a musical has always been in the back of my mind,” Nyashinski said. Even in his Kleptomaniax days, he experimented with theatrics. In “Tuendelee,” the group staged mock gunshots and collapsed onstage. “From that time, I felt I could add theatrics to a show.”
Part of the choir involved in Nyashinski's Showman Residency at Carnivore Grounds on April 5, 2026 dancing along with some of the dancers.
Photo credit: Thomas Rajula | Nation
The residency runs two hours and 40 minutes, built around 13 songs chosen to capture what Nyashinski calls “the showman’s creed” — greatness against all odds.
“Usually, when you have a gig, it’s just a concert. You arrange songs to evoke emotions. But here, I had to pick songs that made storytelling possible,” he said. “I wanted someone who’s never heard my songs before to enjoy the show.”
Nyashinski proved his solo draw with “Shin City” concerts in Nairobi in 2022 and Eldoret in 2023, where he performed only his own songs.
Actor Ibrahim Muchemi (all black) who plays one of the actors in the Greek chorus as part of the show in Nyashinski's Showman Residency by at Carnivore Grounds on April 5, 2026.
Photo credit: Thomas Rajula | Nation
For the residency, Nyashinski dug deeper into his creativity, jotting notes in a book that contains his vision. He enlisted creative director Ian Arunga, show director Mugambi Nthiga, assistant director Queen Gathoni, and writer Mercy Mutisya to turn the concept into a reality. “They took the skeleton and gave it meat, like Some of the dialogue, the herald (who opens the show and makes pronouncements at certain parts), and the calls and responses in between. I don’t think it’s possible to do it all by yourself; we’re almost 100 people.” Nyashinski said.
The team shaped the show into seven episodes, with characters like Lover Boy, Dream Girl, and a Greek chorus. Mugambi explained, “We had to identify themes and shape the characters. We made a narrative out of it. It’s such a blessing that we had a strong blueprint. The challenge for Gathoni, Mercy and I was to make sense and make all of that into one story, and still respect the episodes; there’s episodes one to seven in the show.”
Nyashinski on stage with the cast and crew for his Showman Residency at Carnivore Grounds on April 5, 2026.
Photo credit: Thomas Rajula | Nation
Nyashinski was deeply involved, guiding music director Kevin “KK” Kiriama on choir entries, specifying lighting colours, and even blocking actors’ movements. Actor Ibrahim Muchemi recalled Nyashinski’s attention to detail: “We sing every lyric. There’s no guesswork.” Choir member Benedict Onyango said he struggled with choreography but practiced until his director noticed improvement. One dancer noted the challenge of creating unique choreography for 13 songs. “These aren’t TikTok dances. They are complex and demand excellence.”
Nyashinski sees the residency as proof of concept. “I want this to stand out as the first residency, to break that glass ceiling,” he said. “It’s the first big musical held in a commercial space the size of Carnivore Gardens. I want people to remember it for opening the way for different art forms to share one space and make money.”
As a teenager in Kleptomaniax, Nyashinski recalls how they would compete for gigs with older musicians. He believes that the cycle prevents artists from becoming legends. “When some international artiste comes to perform, you want to curtain-raise, and you’re over 40! This is a very Kenyan thing; we have very old people in all these offices who don’t want to retire. I don’t want to be like that. I don’t want to fight with kids for attention. I want to show them how to be at my age.”
