Two Rivers Lifestyle Centre is preparing to host its annual Somali Cultural Festival, a three-day celebration aimed at showcasing the richness and diversity of Somali traditions while promoting business networking.
The festival, which first took place in 2021, has become a landmark event for the mall, drawing thousands of visitors and highlighting the centre’s commitment to embracing different cultures.
Shurea Nkutu, Marketing Manager at Two Rivers, described the festival as “a beautiful experience” that not only entertains but also encourages meaningful interactions among shoppers, tenants, and businesses.
“We embrace all cultures. You will find, if you look at our calendar of events, we cover all cultures, all personalities, because that’s what, that’s who we are,” Nkutu said during an interview at Radio Generation on Wednesday.
This year, the event will run from November 28 to November 30, 2025, and will showcase Somali heritage through various activities like traditional food, fashion, art, and storytelling. It aims to be a celebration of Somali culture, bringing together the community for a vibrant, cultural experience.
The festival offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore Somali cuisine, traditional dances, and vibrant attire, as Shurea noted that the event also provides an avenue for business engagement, with various sectors represented, including banking, insurance, healthcare, and automotive services.
“It’s just about experiencing a beautiful culture, the diversity that’s into it, the entertainment, the food, the networking to which people are going to do in that because we’re going to have an export, a business export as well,” she explained.
First introduced as a week-long event in 2021, the Somali Cultural Festival attracted over 300,000 visitors across seven days, with daily footfalls exceeding 30,000 people.
The festival has since been shortened to three days due to scheduling demands, coinciding with major shopping events like Black Friday.
Shurea admitted that even three days feel too short to fully capture the richness of Somali culture. “The culture is rich. Actually, even the seven days would not be enough to showcase what they have from what we experienced last time,” she said.
Two Rivers’ approach is inclusive, drawing not only the Somali community but also other Kenyans and visitors interested in experiencing diverse cultural expressions.
Shurea emphasised the value of the festival in creating connections between businesses and potential clients.
She highlighted that this year, the festival will feature interactive zones where participants can learn about halal banking, insurance services, and other business offerings.
The Somali Cultural Festival at Two Rivers is therefore not just a celebration of heritage but also a platform for commerce, networking, and community engagement, reflecting the mall’s wider commitment to cultural diversity and inclusive experiences for all its visitors.
