Lilongwe will be eventful this weekend with top on the bill being the Miss Malawi grand finale which takes place tomorrow night at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) clashing with musician Soldier Lucius Banda’s 20th album launch of Love and Hate at Lilongwe Golf Club the same night.
While some quarters have expressed concern with the two events happening on the same night, others have said the two activities are of different magnitude.
Alpha Arts, organisers of the Miss Malawi said Thursday they were prepared and ready for the grand finale of the national beauty pageant which will ate the end crown Miss Malawi.
“It is unfortunate that there are two events happening on the same night but they are different in its nature and our target is different. People have bought tickets,” Tina Kendricks one of the players from Alpha Arts, said.
She said people will see something different during this year’s Miss Malawi, with 12 contestants set to battle it out for the crown.
“We announced that we will only have 10 contestants and remove two but we have decided to go with all the 12. All the contestants are ready and prepared and they have had perfect trainings during boot camp,” Kendricks, a former Malawi News Model of the Year, said.
She said the judges were also geared for the grand finale of the beauty pageant with the guest judge being Miss Malawi 2005 Rachel Landson Phiri, who is now based in Zambia.
“We are still working things out to make sure that the Miss Malawi gets more prizes as well as her princesses but I should still admit that it has been hard to get sponsorship from the corporate world,” Kendricks said.
Two weeks ago, Blueberry Travels as one of their main sponsors pledged a one- week trip to Dubai with all expenses paid for the queen.
According to Kendricks, the guest of honour during the grand finale of the beauty pageant is the First Lady Monica Chakwera will be the guest of honour.
Recently, Miss Malawi organisers and the 12 finalists engaged First Lady Monica Chakwera to ask for support.
Lucius also said it was unfortunate that his 20th album launch was happening on the same day and night with Miss Malawi.
“If we knew in time, we would have shifted because Miss Malawi is a national event but still more these are different activities and we are happy with the support received so far as regards purchase of tickets by people. Again, Miss Malawi will not run the whole night while for us, it is the whole night,” he said.
Lucius said all the artists on the line-up were ready, with South African Nkosazana Daughter and Zambia’s Oga Family expected to arrive in the country the day of the event.
Other acts performing at the launch include Black Missionaries and Anthony Makondetsa, Janta, Patience Namadingo, Lulu, Wendy Harawa, Mlaka Maliro, Dan Lu, Billy Kaunda, Sam Smack, Nepman, Mr Zembani, Che Malamba and Walycris.
