Stanbic Bank has announced that Omarion and Musiq Soulchild will headline Zambia’s largest music event, the Stanbic Music Festival. Following the success of last year’s event featuring Grammy Award winner Ne-Yo, the bank is investing in these two international stars, multi-platinum singer Omarion and soulful Grammy-nominated artist Musiq Soulchild.

The Stanbic Music Festival, scheduled for October 11 and 12 at the iconic Lusaka Polo Fields, will feature these headliners along with local talent, promising a fusion of international and Zambian sounds to delight audiences.

Stanbic Bank CEO, Mwindwa Siakalima, expressed the bank’s commitment to promoting Zambian culture, music, and talent through the festival. He emphasized the bank’s brand philosophy, “We believe in here,” which aligns with their support for Zambia.

“We also believe in the power of music to unite our people and foster a culture of unity driven by a strong desire to elevate the standards of the local music and arts industry,” Siakalima said on the bank’s Facebook page.

Chama Fumba, the Ministry of Youth Sports and Arts’ Permanent Secretary, represented by acting director of arts Everisto Makwaya, praised Stanbic Bank’s efforts in providing a platform for local artists to shine. Fumba urged the banking industry to develop financial products tailored to the entertainment industry, recognizing its significant contribution to the economy.

“In this vein, we urge the banking sector, through the Bank of Zambia (BoZ), to continue developing initiatives, such as this one, with tailored financial products to benefit the local entertainment industry,” Fumba said. “Music is critical to our country’s social fabric, so festivals like the SMF bring immense value to our local economy.”

However, public debate on social media has questioned whether Omarion can draw a large crowd with hits like “Ice Box,” “Entourage,” and “Post to Be,” given his previous performance in Namibia in 2017, where he struggled to fill the stadium.