Beneath the Baobabs Festival Kilifi, Kenya, 30 December 2026

KENYA · KILIFI

A New Year festival under baobab trees on Kenya’s coast has dates and tickets; here is what US visitors need first.

Beneath the Baobabs Festival returns to Kilifi, on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast, from Wednesday, 30 December, to Friday, 1 January 2027. The organiser sells tickets through Quicket, its official seller, starting at KSh 6,500 (about US$50).

The event is a two-night New Year party in a baobab forest, mixing electronic music, live acts, art and wellness. For US visitors it means an electronic entry permit, a trip to the coast and a malaria plan.

What Beneath the Baobabs Festival Is

Beneath the Baobabs Festival is a boutique destination festival in a baobab forest above Takaungu Creek, just south of Kilifi. The organiser describes international and African artists playing in an intimate, open-air setting.

Its ticket page on Quicket says the site has been a hub for festival-goers, artists and musicians for the past 12 years. Quicket lists this edition as Beneath the Baobabs Festival 2027, after the year in which it ends.

Capital FM, a Nairobi-based broadcaster, reported in October 2025 that the last edition was billed across five stages. They ranged from Afro-house and amapiano to hip-hop, bass music, live and traditional music.

International names announced for that edition included the amapiano producer Vigro Deep, plus DJ Lag, Alewya and Muzi. Kenyan acts such as Ghedi, Tina Ardor and Lil Maina were also announced.

Beyond the music, the site has a wellness area called Kisima and an on-site recording studio and label, Baobab Studios. A project called Lutsaga records the music of the Mijikenda, the group of peoples native to this coast.

The organiser says Lutsaga pays performers, shares royalties and returns the master recordings to the communities. The festival bans single-use plastics and says it offsets its estimated emissions through Wildlife Works, a forest-protection partner.

The Site and How to Get There

The site sits 5 km south of Kilifi town on the Mombasa–Malindi highway, opposite Mnarani Secondary School, according to the organiser. Parking is about 400 metres from the main arena, with security watching the cars.

For visitors from abroad, the organiser recommends flying straight into Mombasa’s international airport, about 60 km away. Daytime taxis from the Mombasa or Malindi airports normally cost KSh 5,500 to 6,000 (about US$42 to US$46).

From Nairobi, the quickest route is a short flight to Vipingo, the closest airstrip, or to Mombasa or Malindi. The organiser points travellers to Jambojet, Skyward Airlines, Kenya Airways and Safarilink for those flights.

The Madaraka Express, Kenya Railways’ standard-gauge passenger train, takes about five hours from Nairobi to Mariakani or Mombasa. The organiser puts standard fares at up to KSh 1,500 (about US$12) and first class at KSh 4,500 (about US$35).

It advises booking early because the trains sell out. It also suggests Mariakani for taxi pick-ups, since that avoids Mombasa’s traffic.

Buses from Nairobi to Kilifi town take 8 to 12 hours, and the organiser names Mash, Tahmeed and Dreamline as operators. From the Naivas supermarket in Kilifi, motorbike taxis and tuk-tuks charge about KSh 400 to 800 (about US$3 to US$6).

Tickets, Camping and Costs

Quicket, the organiser’s ticketing platform, lists three prices: KSh 6,500, KSh 9,000 and KSh 13,000 (about US$50, US$69 and US$100). The festival’s own site says early-bird tickets are almost gone.

Conversions use the Central Bank of Kenya’s indicative rate of KSh 129.79 to US$1, posted on 6 October 2026. Tickets are non-refundable, but holders can transfer them to a new guest through Quicket after a private sale.

Nobody under 18 is admitted. Camping in your own tent is included in the ticket, and pitches open after 4 p.m. on 30 December.

Ready-made tents for two are sold separately, from 4 p.m. on 30 December until 10 a.m. on Saturday, 2 January 2027. Each comes with two beds, bedding, two chairs, a table and a lantern, but the event page shows no price.

For more comfort, the grounds have two cottages and four safari tents, with a minimum stay of five nights. Uncover, the festival’s official travel concierge, books hotels and private houses around Kilifi.

A basic budget covers the US$30 eTA, a US$50 to US$100 ticket and an airport taxi of about US$42 to US$46. Flights to Kenya and accommodation come on top.

Entry Rules for US Citizens

The State Department says US citizens need six months’ passport validity, two blank pages and a Kenyan electronic travel authorisation (eTA). Kenya’s official eTA portal, run by the Directorate of Immigration Services, charges US$30 for a standard single-entry authorisation.

Normal processing generally takes up to 72 hours, sometimes longer, and an expedited option costs an extra US$100. The portal also offers a five-year multiple-entry eTA for American nationals at US$185.

Kenya’s embassy in Washington says an eTA is valid for travel within 90 days of issue. The organiser advises applying at least a week ahead, and only on the official site, etakenya.go.ke.

The State Department adds that travellers arriving from a country with yellow fever should carry proof of vaccination. Without it, they may be refused entry.

Safety and Health on the Coast

The State Department rates Kenya at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, in an advisory issued on 28 July 2026. It warns of terrorism and of violent crime, including armed carjacking and kidnapping, across the country.

It says Do Not Travel to Kilifi County north of highway C103 and to coastal areas north of Malindi. OpenStreetMap data place highway C103 at Malindi, north of Kilifi town, so the festival site falls outside that zone.

The advisory calls road accidents a major threat to travellers, and traffic in Kenya drives on the left. It singles out matatus, the minibus taxis, and boda bodas, the motorbike taxis, as particular dangers on the road.

The coast is a malaria area, and the organiser recommends preventive medication. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists suitable drugs for travellers.

On Tuesday, 6 October, Kenya reported its first imported Ebola case, a Bundibugyo virus infection, to the World Health Organization (WHO). The patient had travelled from Congo through Uganda and died in a Nairobi hospital the night before.

The WHO advises against any restriction of travel to or trade with Kenya. On 7 October the CDC had no travel health notice for Kenya; its highest notice covers parts of eastern Congo.

December on the coast is hot, with daytime highs of about 28 to 32°C (82 to 90°F) and short tropical showers. The organiser suggests sunscreen, a hat, light clothes and a rechargeable fan for campers.

What It Means for You

If you plan to go, apply for the eTA early and book train seats or domestic flights to the coast soon. Sort out where you will sleep before you buy a ticket you cannot refund.

Check the State Department advisory and CDC notices again before departure, because the Ebola situation in the region is still developing. Families should note the strict rule that nobody under 18 gets in.

What Is Not Known

The lineup for this edition has not been published, and the festival page still links to last year’s full lineup. Quicket does not say what separates its three price levels, or how many early-bird tickets remain.

The price of the ready-made tents is not shown on the event page. It is also not known how the Ebola situation will develop before December, or whether Kenya will tighten airport screening.

What Comes Next

Last year the first lineup names came in mid-October, the music outlet Resident Advisor reported on Tuesday, 14 October 2025. The organiser has not said when this year’s names will follow.

A lineup announcement would not change the dates, the site or the ticket channel, which are already confirmed. It would mainly tell you whether the bill is worth a long trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Americans need a visa for Kenya?

Americans need an electronic travel authorisation, or eTA, obtained online before departure at etakenya.go.ke. A standard single-entry eTA costs US$30, and normal processing generally takes up to 72 hours, sometimes longer.

Is Kilifi safe for US visitors?

The State Department rates Kenya Level 2 but lists Kilifi County north of highway C103 as Do Not Travel. The festival site, south of Kilifi town, falls outside that zone, though road crashes remain a major risk.

Can I camp at Beneath the Baobabs Festival?

Yes, pitching your own tent is included in the festival ticket, from 4 p.m. on 30 December. Ready-made tents for two are sold separately and run until 10 a.m. on 2 January.

Sources: Beneath the Baobabs, festival page; Quicket, Beneath the Baobabs Festival 2027; Kenya eTA portal, eligibility and fees; Kenya eTA portal, FAQs; Embassy of Kenya, Washington, eTA; US State Department, Kenya travel advisory; US State Department, Kenya country information; WHO Africa, Kenya Bundibugyo case; CDC travel health notices; Central Bank of Kenya, indicative rates; Capital FM; Resident Advisor (all accessed 7 October 2026).

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