BK Arena says the discounted #REMA50 ticket allocation has sold out, while regular tickets remain on sale for Rema’s September 5 Kwita Izina concert in Kigali.
KIGALI, Rwanda — August 24, 2026 — Rema’s scheduled Kwita Izina concert in Kigali is continuing to move forward, with organizers now reporting that the first discounted ticket allocation for the September 5 show at BK Arena has sold out.
The development comes days after XTRAfrica reported that Rema was facing calls from some Congolese social-media users to reconsider the Kigali performance, with critics pointing to Nigerian singer Tems’ decision to cancel her own Rwanda concert in 2025 during heightened concern over the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Despite those calls, there has been no announced change to Rema’s September 5 booking.
BK Arena said its Early Bird Flash Sale, which offered a 50% discount using the promotional code #REMA50, had sold out. The venue said regular tickets were still available through Rwanda-based ticketing platform TiCQet.
The early-bird offer had been scheduled to run from August 23 until August 25, or until the allocated discounted tickets were exhausted.
The update does not mean the entire concert is sold out. Instead, it shows that the limited promotional ticket batch has been fully taken up while general ticket sales continue.
Official concert schedule remains unchanged
The official Kwita Izina programme continues to list the Kwita Izina Concert & Meet and Greet for September 5 at BK Arena in Kigali, describing it as a celebration featuring international and Rwandan performers.
The schedule can be viewed on the official Kwita Izina events page.
ENTERTAINMENT
Rema Kigali Concert Moves Forward as Early-Bird Tickets Sell Out
Aug 24, 2026
Aug 24, 2026
5 min read
Published
Updated:
BK Arena says the discounted #REMA50 ticket allocation has sold out, while regular tickets remain on sale for Rema’s September 5 Kwita Izina concert in Kigali.
KIGALI, Rwanda — August 24, 2026 — Rema’s scheduled Kwita Izina concert in Kigali is continuing to move forward, with organizers now reporting that the first discounted ticket allocation for the September 5 show at BK Arena has sold out.
The development comes days after XTRAfrica reported that Rema was facing calls from some Congolese social-media users to reconsider the Kigali performance, with critics pointing to Nigerian singer Tems’ decision to cancel her own Rwanda concert in 2025 during heightened concern over the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Despite those calls, there has been no announced change to Rema’s September 5 booking.
BK Arena said its Early Bird Flash Sale, which offered a 50% discount using the promotional code #REMA50, had sold out. The venue said regular tickets were still available through Rwanda-based ticketing platform TiCQet.
The early-bird offer had been scheduled to run from August 23 until August 25, or until the allocated discounted tickets were exhausted.
The update does not mean the entire concert is sold out. Instead, it shows that the limited promotional ticket batch has been fully taken up while general ticket sales continue.
Official concert schedule remains unchanged
The official Kwita Izina programme continues to list the Kwita Izina Concert & Meet and Greet for September 5 at BK Arena in Kigali, describing it as a celebration featuring international and Rwandan performers.
ADVERTISEMENT
The schedule can be viewed on the official Kwita Izina events page.
The Rwanda Development Board also continues to list Rema as the headline performer. In its August 21 announcement confirming the Nigerian star, RDB said the concert would take place on Saturday, September 5, one day after the 21st Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony in Kinigi, Musanze District.
RDB also confirmed that Rwandan artist Kivumbi King would be among the performers joining Rema, with additional Rwandan and regional artists expected to be announced.
The official announcement described the BK Arena show as the culminating entertainment event of this year’s Kwita Izina celebrations.
No public cancellation from Rema
Attention around the concert has grown because of calls for Rema to follow the path taken by fellow Nigerian artist Tems.
As XTRAfrica previously reported, some Congolese users urged Rema to reconsider performing in Kigali because of the continuing conflict in eastern DRC.
As of August 24, no public statement announcing a withdrawal from the Kigali concert has been identified from Rema or his team.
ADVERTISEMENT
Instead, the most recent activity from the event side has moved in the opposite direction: BK Arena has launched ticket sales, the discounted allocation has been exhausted, and Kwita Izina has continued circulating the concert promotion.
That makes the ticket-sale update significant because it shows organizers have advanced from announcing the artist to actively selling admission for the show.
Why Tems remains part of the debate
Tems was scheduled to perform at BK Arena on March 22, 2025, but cancelled the appearance in January of that year as fighting escalated in eastern DRC.
Africanews reported at the time that Tems said she had promoted the Kigali concert without fully understanding the seriousness of the situation and apologized for appearing insensitive to people affected by the conflict.
Her decision has since become a reference point when activists and social-media users call on international performers to reconsider appearances in Rwanda.
Rwanda has faced international scrutiny over allegations of support for M23 in eastern Congo. Kigali has rejected accusations that it is responsible for the conflict and has repeatedly raised security concerns linked to the FDLR armed group operating in eastern DRC.
POPULAR TODAY
ADVERTISEMENT
The controversy surrounding Rema therefore sits at the intersection of music, regional politics and the growing use of celebrity appearances as a form of public pressure.
What happens next
For now, the September 5 concert remains on the official schedule.
Rema is still listed as the headline artist, Kivumbi King has joined the lineup, and regular tickets are being sold after the early-bird allocation ran out.
The next major developments to watch will be any direct response from Rema or his management, further lineup announcements, changes to the concert schedule, or a formal statement from Visit Rwanda, Kwita Izina or BK Arena addressing the calls for the Nigerian star to withdraw.
Until then, the clearest new development is that Rema’s Kigali concert has moved further into the ticket-sales stage despite the continuing calls for him to reconsider the performance.
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED ARTICLE
