‘Cancel Blantyre Food Festival’ — fury erupts over teen drinking, fighting

The Blantyre Food Festival is facing mounting calls for cancellation after its latest edition sparked outrage over the behaviour of some teenagers who attended the event.

Critics say the festival has drifted from its original purpose and is increasingly becoming associated with excessive drinking, fighting and alleged indecent behaviour involving young people.

The calls follow the latest edition of the festival held in Blantyre, which attracted scores of young people alongside other entertainment seekers.

Some attendees have taken to social media to express disappointment over what they describe as the changing face of the event, claiming that increasing numbers of teenagers are attending and engaging in behaviour they consider inappropriate.

Social media personality Kannai Finesse Gad, popularly known as Blantyre Baby, has become one of the strongest voices calling for the event to be stopped.

Writing on Facebook, Gad said the festival had “lost its essence” and accused some attendees of engaging in excessive drinking and other undesirable conduct.

“Those Blantyre Food Festival must end. The event lost its essence. Chisawawa too much, tima hule ndi mbava at the core,” Gad wrote.

The controversy has been further fuelled by a video circulating on social media showing teenage girls involved in a physical fight at Chichiri Shopping Mall after allegedly coming from the festival.

The developments have triggered a heated debate, with some social media users demanding that organisers rethink the event’s format and age controls.