Lawyer Francis Wanjiku wants the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) to investigate the festival, which was held on 28th September 2025, under Section 9 of the Competition Act (Cap. 504).

He argues that revealers were “subjected to a poorly managed experience that did not match the advertised premium standards.”

“Revellers are entitled to the quality of service they pay for. This was a shoddy event experience, and the organisers must be held accountable.” – Lawyer Francis Wanjiku

Mr Wanjiku is demanding not only a probe into the organizers’ trade practices but also a guarantee that attendees will be compensated for their negative experience.

The event, a staple on the Nairobi social calendar, was held at the Laureate Grounds in Kasarani on Sunday, 28th September 2025. The main headliner was afrobeats star Tems (Nigeria) and other notable performers were Joshua Baraka (Uganda), Chimano, We Are Nubia, Toxic Lyrikali, Zaituni, Flier, and Billy Black. The ticket prices ranged from Ksh 3,000 to Ksh 4,500 (Advanced Tickets).

The festival, which attracted thousands of paying customers, was marred by a series of issues that quickly soured the atmosphere.

Attendees widely complained that the highly anticipated live performances were ruined by distorted sound quality, a recurring complaint, and also technical issues disrupted the music, making it difficult for many to enjoy the acts.

The entire programme was hours behind schedule, leading to significant disruption and poor time management.

Headline acts, including Tems, were forced to perform out of the scheduled order, leaving fans confused and frustrated. The festival’s founder, Muthoni Drummer Queen, even had to address the crowd to announce the last-minute change to the line-up.

The most worrying complaint concerned the late opening of the bars. This delay sparked intense crowding around the few operational service points, leading to extremely long queues for drinks and other reports of near-stampede situations as the crowd pushed to get served

The formal complaint now places the Blankets & Wine organisers under the scrutiny of the Competition Authority of Kenya. The authority is expected to review the evidence submitted and determine whether the event’s execution constitutes a breach of the Competition Act concerning consumer protection and fair trade.

The outcome of the probe could set a precedent for how music festival and large-scale event organisers in Kenya are held to account for the quality of the experience they sell to consumers.