The 13th edition of the Sômarôho Festival once again mobilized audiences in Nosy Be. Beyond popular enthusiasm, the event confirms its cultural, tourist, and economic significance for the island.

Shenseea's arrival awakened the crowd at Ambodivoanio. The 13th edition of the Sômarôho festival transformed Nosy Be into Madagascar's cultural capital for five days. Behind the concerts, carnivals, and crowds, another spectacle unfolded: a local economy boosted by tourism, transport, restaurants, and commerce. Yet after thirteen editions, the festival must now move from popular success to demonstrating its true impact.

From August 5-9, from music to tourism, from hotels to small businesses, the 13th Sômarôho festival once again placed the fragrant island in the spotlight. Malagasy artists, international guests, carnival, entertainment, and musical evenings marked a week where culture and economy walked hand in hand.

At Nosy Be, Sômarôho extends beyond Ambodivoanio's stages. Its effects ripple across the entire island. Thousands of journeys, hotels in demand, restaurants of all categories filled, boats mobilized, and businesses thriving for five days.

Artistically, the results were equally positive. The public responded enthusiastically and artists performed before large crowds. With Shenseea headlining and Wawa closing the event, Ambodivoanio experienced several particularly lively evenings.

The festival's true highlight was undoubtedly Jamaican artist Shenseea's arrival and performance at Ambodivoanio's stage. Accompanied by her dancers, the star delivered a show blending bold outfits and daring choreography, delighting the Nosy Be audience across all ages and backgrounds, men and women, young and old.

Performing her songs in English, Shenseea was particularly impressed by the audience's ability to sing along to her tracks by heart. At Ambodivoanio, the stadium vibrated with cheers and spectators' songs, clearly captivated by the Jamaican star's performance.

The star even invited young spectators randomly chosen from the crowd onto stage, having them participate in energetic dance demonstrations alongside her. A sequence that kept security guards on their toes. Despite security constraints, they had to adapt and allow it, so spontaneous and anticipated was the moment. It was a sequence that particularly electrified the atmosphere and strengthened the connection between star and audience. This performance was preceded by Tence Mena's group with their "salegy mitsatotsatoka," but the fervor was not the same.

Beyond this international headliner, the 13th Sômarôho edition confirmed growing public enthusiasm for music and the festival. Popular mobilization was particularly visible. Clearly determined to fully experience the event, audiences were not deterred by ticket prices, set between 20,000 and 25,000 ariary per day, despite an economic context that doesn't always allow households to easily spend tens of thousands of ariary on a cultural event. Each evening, spectators were numerous at Ambodivoanio's esplanade, giving the event an impression of strong attendance.

Law enforcement was heavily mobilized to secure the site and prevent any overflow risks. Several hours before performances began, barriers had already been installed on roads leading to Ambodivoanio, notably blocking access to taxis and vehicles. An anticipatory measure aimed at managing crowds and ensuring smooth evenings.

Without officially announcing any "sold out," organizers seemed to use the site's capacity to accommodate the public as their main indicator. A way to measure this edition's success based on attendance and atmosphere during the various evenings.

For several days, Nosy Be gained visibility. The island's name and its Sômarôho festival circulated in media, on social networks, and in festivalgoers' conversations. Images of the carnival, concerts, and island landscapes extended the destination's visibility well beyond the festival's duration.

The final evening demonstrated another measure of the fervor surrounding Sômarôho. After the festival's official closing, rain joined the celebration, failing to discourage the last devoted fans. Far from dampening spirits, the bad weather instead reinforced the passion surrounding the event.