Fireworks at Kasarani as star-studded CHAN 2024 closing ceremony lights up Nairobi
The TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 closed in spectacular fashion at Nairobi’s Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, with a high-energy ceremony that blended music, colour and a salute to the three co-hosts ahead of the final between Morocco and Madagascar.
Before a packed stadium and a global television audience, the show delivered a 360° stage production, sweeping light displays and a fireworks sequence billed as the most ambitious yet seen at a major sporting event in East Africa.
The ceremony preceded kick-off, underscoring the tournament’s “Pamoja” spirit—Swahili for “together”—that has defined a month of football shared by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
In full color. The #TotalEnergiesCHAN2024 final is here! 🌍🔊 pic.twitter.com/oiAVJnBtom
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) August 30, 2025
Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo headlined the bill, sending Kasarani into full voice with his global club banger “Sitya Loss”.
Tanzania’s Zuchu followed with a polished set that featured “Amanda”, while Kenya’s Savara—of Sauti Sol fame—brought the house down with “Show You Off”, his performance doubling as a showcase of Kenyan musical pride.
The trio’s appearances gave each host nation a spotlight, mirroring the cross-border collaboration that has framed this edition of CHAN.
Dignitaries on hand included the President of Kenya, H.E. William Ruto, CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, alongside senior football executives and thousands of fans.
Their presence underlined CHAN’s growing stature and East Africa’s successful delivery of a three-country tournament that has filled stadiums and fan parks throughout the month.
The creative direction stitched together motifs from Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Kampala—textiles, drumlines, and choreographed mass movement pieces—to tell a single story of regional unity.
A mass-cast sequence in the stadium bowl evoked the roar of the fan zones that have become a hallmark of this edition, while the finale’s pyrotechnics lifted over Kasarani to cap a ceremony that felt both celebratory and forward-looking.
With the show concluded, attention turns to the pitch. Morocco, champions in 2018 and 2020, chase a record third title; Madagascar, in their first CHAN final, seek to complete a fairytale run with a maiden trophy.
Whatever the result, the closing ceremony crystallised what PAMOJA 2024 has showcased throughout: full houses, fervent support and a renewed appetite for domestic football across East Africa.
As the last sparks faded above the Kasarani stands, one message lingered—this has been a tournament built on collaboration, cultural pride and the promise of more to come for the region’s game.
