Kenya Mega Choma Battle Barbecue in Nairobi, 12 December

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KENYA · EVENT GUIDE

The Kenya Mega Choma Battle is a one-day roast-meat festival at KICC in central Nairobi on Saturday, 12 December 2026. Nyama choma, Swahili for roasted meat, is Kenya’s best-known barbecue.

Tickets are on sale through Ticketsasa, a Kenyan ticket platform, from KES 1,000 (about US$7.70). This guide gives the times in US Eastern, the venue basics and what the organiser has not yet published.

What the Mega Choma Battle Is

Motic Africa, the listed host, runs the Kenya Mega Choma Battle on Saturday, 12 December 2026. The listing runs from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Nairobi time, which is 2:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. US Eastern.

The Kenya Mega Choma Battle ticket page gives no description, lineup or rules. The name points to a grilling contest, but the organiser has not said who competes or how winners are judged.

Nyama choma is meat, most often goat or beef, roasted over charcoal and cut into pieces on a wooden board. It is usually eaten by hand with kachumbari, a fresh tomato and onion salad, and ugali, a firm maize porridge.

For a visitor, the Kenya Mega Choma Battle is a cheap way to taste Kenya’s most social meal in one place. Whether the event sells food on site, or only entry, is not stated on the listing.

Tickets and Prices in US Dollars

The seller of Kenya Mega Choma Battle tickets is Ticketsasa, a Kenyan ticket platform run by Pesapal Limited, a payments company. Its page lists two tickets: Advance Single at KES 1,000 (about US$7.70) and Group of 3 at KES 2,400 (about US$18.48).

Three single tickets would cost KES 3,000 (about US$23.09), so the group ticket saves KES 600 (about US$4.62). Both tiers stop selling on Friday, 11 December, at 11:59 p.m. Nairobi time, which is 3:59 p.m. US Eastern.

Prices here use the market rate of 129.90 shillings to the dollar on 31 October 2026. Ticket prices are set by the organiser and can change, so check the page on the day you buy.

The listing shows no gate price and no sales after 11 December. It also shows no refund terms, only a link to the platform’s general terms and conditions.

KICC and How to Get There

The Kenya Mega Choma Battle is held at KICC, the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. This landmark conference complex in central Nairobi has operated since 1973 and, its website says, has hosted summits, exhibitions and world leaders.

The ticket listing reads simply “kicc, Nairobi, Kenya”, with a map pin in the city centre. It names no hall, gate or entrance.

Ask your hotel to arrange a driver who knows the building and to confirm which entrance the event uses. The organiser has published neither an entrance nor parking details.

What It Means for You

The Kenya Mega Choma Battle is a daytime Saturday event, so arrive early if you want the full eight hours. The 10:00 a.m. opening is the listed time, and no separate doors time is published.

The same Saturday, 12 December, is a Kenyan national holiday, the independence-anniversary day. Our Kenya holidays guide lists the public days around the festive season.

The organiser sells a Group of 3 ticket, which suggests friends or family attending together. The listing states no age limit, so confirm before bringing children.

A second day out is the Ferre Gola concert at the ASK Arena, a Nairobi event venue, on the same Saturday. Its start time is unclear, so check our Ferre Gola guide before planning both.

Safety and Entry Rules

Every traveller to Kenya for the Kenya Mega Choma Battle, including Americans, must apply on the government’s eTA portal, Kenya’s electronic travel authorisation, before departure. The portal warns of denied boarding or a penalty on arrival.

Our guide to Kenya’s eTA and insurance rules sets out the fee and the health-insurance requirement. Apply well before 12 December.

The US State Department’s Kenya page urges increased caution and warns of armed robbery, carjacking and kidnapping. It names Nairobi’s Eastleigh and Kibera neighbourhoods as places to reconsider travel to.

Advisory levels can change, and our Kenya advisory guide tracks the current one. Read the State Department page again on the day you book.

The same page says demonstrations can block key junctions and cause long traffic jams in Nairobi. It also warns of attacks on hotels, malls and transport hubs and urges extra care after dark.

Plan your ride back before you go in, as the festival ends at 6:00 p.m. with no published transport. Keep your phone charged and your passport copy in your hotel safe.

More Grill and Music Dates in December

A week earlier, on Saturday, 5 December, The Grill Squad runs the Meat Up Fest at Magnate City in Limuru Town. Mookh, a Kenyan ticket platform, lists single tickets from KES 6,000 (about US$46.19) for adults aged 18 and over.

The same day, Back To Rock 5 runs from 4:00 p.m. at Village Market on Limuru Road in Nairobi. Ticketsasa lists early-bird tickets at KES 2,000 (about US$15.40) until 5 November, and no lineup is published.

If music suits you better, Fatboy Slim plays MUZE Open Air at Wilson Airport in Nairobi on Friday, 11 December. Our Kenya events calendar has the details.

For the city itself, our Nairobi city page covers neighbourhoods and getting around. Our Mombasa Carnival guide covers a free coastal party on Saturday, 14 November.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

For the Kenya Mega Choma Battle, the organiser has published no lineup, no list of cooks or teams, no judging rules and no menu. The ticket page’s description and performing-artists sections are empty.

No age limit, refund terms, entrance, parking or on-site payment method is stated. Motic Africa links no website or social page from the listing, and we found no separate announcement from it.

Treat the Kenya Mega Choma Battle date, hours and prices as the ticket seller’s listing, not a statement from the organiser. If anything changes, the Ticketsasa page is where the update would appear first, so check it the week you travel.

More: Kenya news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the Kenya Mega Choma Battle?

It runs on Saturday, 12 December 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Nairobi time, at KICC in central Nairobi. That is 2:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. US Eastern.

How much are tickets for Americans?

Ticketsasa lists Advance Single at KES 1,000 (about US$7.70) and Group of 3 at KES 2,400 (about US$18.48). Both stop selling on Friday, 11 December, at 11:59 p.m. Nairobi time.

What is nyama choma?

Nyama choma is Swahili for roasted meat, usually goat or beef grilled over charcoal. It is eaten by hand with kachumbari, a tomato and onion salad, and ugali, a firm maize porridge.

Sources: Ticketsasa, Kenya Mega Choma Battle 2026 event page (date, hours, venue, host, ticket tiers), accessed 1 November 2026; Kenyatta International Convention Centre, official website (history and role of the venue), accessed 1 November 2026; Mookh, The Meat Up Fest event page, accessed 1 November 2026; Ticketsasa, Back To Rock 5 event page, accessed 1 November 2026; Government of Kenya, eTA portal (entry requirement), accessed 1 November 2026; US Department of State, Kenya travel advisory, accessed 1 November 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief