Malawi, a little nation in Southeast Africa, has a thriving populace and a rising interest in music and the arts. An annual three-day international festival called Lake of Stars is held on the banks of Lake Malawi, the third-largest lake in Africa. Over 4,000 people attended the inaugural event in 2004, which featured musical performances primarily from Europe and Africa. The LOS festival took a vacation in 2017 to concentrate on other endeavors, but they made a triumphant return in 2018 to stage their largest festival to date at Leopards Bay in Salima.
Photo credit: Dream Africa
This year, the enchantment of Malawi’s “Lake of Stars” will return as music, dance, cultures, and works of art arrive from all over the world to perform at one of the continent’s most varied festivals. On three stages during the course of the three-day event, about one hundred acts will perform.
The important role that tourism may play in the economy of Malawi has been acknowledged by the administration of that nation. Through media coverage, particularly on international networks (BBC, CNN, MTV) and online, the project has introduced Malawi to more than 600 million people. Since 2003, it has helped Malawi’s tourist and artistic industries grow, and it is thought to have brought in more than $4.7 million in spending.
The festival tells a good tale about Malawi and Africa, and Comic Relief asked Lake of Stars to join their advisory board for their See Africa Differently campaign in recognition of the festival’s crucial role in countering prevalent negative media narratives about the continent.
