Ntungamo is about to get loud.
Global R&B singer, actor, and producer Tyrese Gibson is coming to Uganda at AfriCoffee Park in Ntungamo. He will headline the Coffee Marathon Uganda on 3rd October 2026.
This is not a normal concert. This is not a normal run. This is Uganda putting coffee, music, and community impact on the same stage — and inviting the world to watch.
From Fast & Furious to Farm Tours
Tyrese is Uganda’s global coffee ambassador. He is not coming to sing and leave. He is coming to run. The Coffee Marathon has four distances: 5KM, 10KM, 21KM, and 42KM. He will be there with runners, farmers, students, and tourists.
The event is called “Coffee with a Cause.” The cause this year is Karamoja. Specifically, the IK community. Organizers are asking everyone who attends to come with clothes and anything they can give to uplift the community. You run. You donate. You impact.
There is another run set for May 30th 2026, also for the IK community. But October 3rd is the big one. That is when the global star lands.
Why This Matters Beyond Music
Uganda is not playing when it comes to coffee. Between November 2024 and October 2025, the country earned $2.4 billion from coffee exports. That is up 77% from $1.3 billion the previous year.
We are Africa’s largest coffee producer. Ethiopia may argue. The money does not lie.
For years, that story stayed on farms and in export reports. A farmer in Kasese picks cherry. A trader in Kampala bulks it. A ship leaves Mombasa. The consumer in Berlin drinks it and calls it “African blend.” Uganda’s name gets lost.
The Coffee Marathon flips that. It puts the farm, the culture, and the people in the same frame as the celebrity. Tyrese on a stage at AfriCoffee Park with hills of coffee trees behind him is a photo that travels. It tells the Berlin buyer: this cup came from here. From these people.
What Happens at AfriCoffee Park on October 3rd
This is not just a race. It is a full coffee concert. The event blends three things:
Music: Tyrese headlines, but expect Ugandan artists too. The park has hosted cultural shows before. This will be bigger.
Culture: Food, dance, and stories from Ankole and beyond. Coffee is not just a crop in Ntungamo. It is a way of life.
Coffee Experiences: Cupping sessions, farm tours, barista showcases. You will taste coffee where it grows.
The target audience is wide. Runners want the 42KM. Families want the 5KM. Music fans want Tyrese. Tourists want the photos. Businesses want the networking.
And everyone leaves knowing something about Karamoja.
Running for Karamoja: Why It Hits Different
The IK community is one of Uganda’s smallest and most isolated groups. They live in the mountains of Kaabong, Karamoja. Access is hard. Schools are few. Health services are limited.
Linking a global concert to this community does two things. First, it brings donations. Clothes, shoes, scholastic materials — things runners can carry. Second, it brings attention. When Tyrese posts about Karamoja, his 20 million followers learn the name.
That is how coffee becomes more than a drink. It becomes a bridge.
The Bigger Play: Uganda Selling Itself
This is soft power. Government spends millions on tourism ads. One Tyrese video at AfriCoffee Park, laughing with farmers, drinking from a calabash, running 10KM in Ntungamo heat — that does more than a billboard in London.
It says Uganda is safe. It says Uganda is creative. It says Uganda owns its coffee story.
The Coffee Marathon is now annual. Each year the cause changes. Each year the profile grows. Bringing a Hollywood name in 2026 tells you where they want this to go: global.
So Should You Go?
If you love running, yes. If you love music, yes. If you love coffee, definitely. If you want to be part of Uganda selling itself to the world without apologizing, then Ntungamo on October 3rd is the place.
Carry your running shoes. Carry a jacket for Karamoja. Carry your phone for the photos.
Uganda earned $2.4B from coffee last year. On October 3rd, we show the world the people behind that number.
Tyrese is coming. The coffee is ready.
