TAWANDA CHARI
HARARE – Unplugged has confirmed its lineup for the next edition of the festival, set for Saturday, 29 August 2026, running from 12PM to 10PM at First Capital Bank Sports Club in the capital. And the headline slot goes to an artist who, by our own coverage over the past year, has arguably had the most acclaimed album run of any act in the country: Takura, now also performing as Shona Prince (this kinda gave us a slight headache on how to frame the headline).
It's been a genuinely difficult stretch to ignore. Pariah arrived as an intensely personal project from an artist who has publicly battled mental health struggles and had, at different points, walked away from music entirely, and it was received as a necessary exhale rather than just another release. Pariah (Deluxe) followed with an even more intimate, therapy-session quality to it, opening with a monologue that framed the whole project as an invitation into vulnerability.
Then came this year's Vanilla EP, a tightly woven R&B project that closes the loop on a run widely regarded as the best full length body of work coming out of Zimbabwe over the past two to three years, with two standout albums in the space of twelve months alone. On stage, the improvement has been just as pronounced — his set at the inaugural Upenyu Festival was singled out as one of the best live performances around, a sharp turnaround for an artist who had previously faced criticism over his live performances. Headlining Unplugged on the back of that run feels very much earned.
Joining him is Tamy Moyo, and if there's one artist on this bill or any bill you go to specifically for the live experience, it's her. Simply put, when Tamy Moyo is on a lineup, you go.
Kim Makumbe is also on the bill, and calling her a superstar isn't a stretch. She made our list of the top 10 Zimbabwean artists to look out for in 2026, on the back of a run of music - from her 2022 breakout Baesty through to Ndendichitodawo and Undirote built on emotional tension, vulnerability and songwriting sharp enough to make even the messier feelings sound good. She's an artist whose ceiling keeps rising, and Unplugged gets her at a point where the rest of the country is only just starting to catch up.
Tanto Wavie makes his unplugged debut. The founder of TrapSu, the genre he built from scratch by fusing trap drums with sungura samples into something entirely his own. Few artists in the country can claim to have originated a sound, and that alone makes his slot on this bill significant. We're most excited for him the most. Hope he smashes it.
Then there's Sylent Nqo, who killed it when Unplugged last returned in December, and he's back for round two in August. The Guitar Sangoma currently has the biggest song in the country in Sewe, his massive collaboration with Mann Friday that's been credited with pulling Zim Rock back into the mainstream conversation, off the back of Huya, which has already crossed 10 million streams. Two Unplugged appearances in under a year says everything about how in demand he currently is.
Rounding out the announced lineup are the Travellers Band, the amazing Tahle Wedzinza, Reverb 7 and Pretty Gangsta, each carrying their own following into the show, and award winning DJ RSK closing things out on the decks.
Early bird tickets are priced at $20 for general access and $60 for VIP, with a $10 corkage fee per cooler box for those bringing their own drinks. Tickets are available at www.unpluggedzim.com.
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