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Its Wika time: Get ready, set … Party!

Its Wika time: Get ready, set … Party!

Celebrated for the first time in 1953, the Karnevalgesellschaft Windhoek 1952 (Windhoek Carnival Society of 1952), commonly known as Wika is preparing for its popular 2016 annual celebration of cultural activities starting on Saturday, 02 April.
Wika festival committee member, Harald Hecht: “Although Wika is based on the carnival celebrated in Germany’s Rhine Valley, Namibia’s celebrations have developed into a sub-culture, which makes this festival even more unique and much loved by Namibians. The non-German speaking community is catered for with English evenings, which are also part of the programme. And to educate the people in the tradition of carnival, Wika organizes events not only for adults, but also for the youth and children.”
The festivities stretch over a period of two weeks, starting off with the traditional Biwak at the SKW Beer Garden. During this event the reigning royal couple performs one of their last official duties by addressing a city council representative and hundreds of guests who enjoy among others the great traditional food, live music and beer.
The Präsidenten Brau beer is specially brewed by NBL every year for the Wika festival. NBL Manager: Sponsorships & Events, Danie Keulder: “We are very passionate about our involvement with the Wika festival, because it gives us the opportunity to connect with our consumers in a fun filled environment and to extend this long serving relationship. Wika has grown to become an event much appreciated by NBL consumers. It is therefore that we remain glued to this annual celebration.”
In addition to the specific support offered by O&L Group companies like NBL which brews the special Präsidenten Brau and Namibia Dairies which provides cream for the much loved “Kaffee Bar”, the O&L Group is also the main sponsor of the International Evening which takes place on 15 April this year. O&L Group Corporate Relations Manager, Patricia Hoeksema: “The international evening celebrates cultures from all over the world in an evening of fun-filled light-hearted entertainment – which is true to our purpose of ‘Creating a future, Enhancing life’, after all, while we all know we should work hard, we sometimes need to be reminded to also take time out to have fun!”
The Royal Ball has proven to be one of the highlights during the Wika festival, for it marks the crowning ceremony of Wika’s new royal couple, whose identity is kept strictly confidential until that evening. From the moment of their accession to the throne, the prince and princess form the centre of the carnival celebrations. They lead the fun loving fraternity through the carnival season, take the stage night after night in true royal style and watch the celebrations from the elevation of their throne. On Saturday 9 April, the new royal couple meet the broader city community during the traditional float procession through Windhoek’s Independence Avenue.

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