COVID-19 HUGE BLOW FOR CROSSOVER

EZULWINI – No money for us this crossover.  These words are echoed by hundreds of event organisers across the world as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage health systems.

After many countries imposed curfews for night activity, this year’s crossovers will be very different as people will be celebrating the New Year in the comfort of their homes. 

Currently in Eswatini, the curfew stands at 11pm until 4am for non-essential travel within the country with strict penalties for people found to be loitering outside after the said period.

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Moreover gatherings with more than 20 people were also halted, which then means that organisers cannot host events.

Through the crossover into 2020, event organisers recorded thousands of fun lovers, who came together to celebrate at different venues across the country. 

Umlilo Crossover organiser MP Mduduzi Gawuzela Simelane had told the Entertainment Desk that things were looking bleak in terms of how they would host this year’s crossover.

He also stated that other than focusing on the negatives brought about by the pandemic, he would rather look for new ways to carry on with the celebrations. 

Lo and behold, the event hosting maestro confirmed that he would be hosting an event digitally as he would not go a year without celebrating a new year.

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Simelane of Mduduzi nezinceku Zamagawugawu fame said the virtual crossover would be hosted on multiple platforms including Channel YemaSwati.

Meanwhile, Thami ‘Toxik’ Dlamini of Toxik Entertainment shared that there were no words to describe the damage and losses caused by the pandemic. 

“We had to cancel two of our annual crossover events and two more throughout the year along with the third instalment of The Epic Gig that was scheduled for June 27, we had already paid artists and service providers and all that money is deemed as a loss, which is close to hundreds of thousands,” he said. 

Toxik also felt that regardless of the pandemic, government was not doing anything about the industry because they treated it like it was a hobby before realising the fact that it was bread and butter for some. 

Other hosts such as Swazi Boy Entertainment have also opted to host events online on New Year’s Eve as a means to remain safer from the coronavirus. 

With a E50 entrance fee to one of the Umlilo Crossover party held in 2018, the Entertainment Desk gathered that 20 000 revellers attended the show, while in 2019 the event hosted close 35 000 fun lovers.

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An estimated E1 million was made in 2018, which could also mean that a similar amount was recorded as a loss for this year. 

In 2019, Toxik Entertainment revealed that they had sold 1 000 tickets to locals at E200, E250 and E500, which means that a loss of over E300 000 was recorded this year.

Similarly, the Swazi Boy Entertainment All White New Year’s Eve Party recorded around 1 000 fun lovers with tickets costing E200 each, an estimated E200 000 was a loss for them.

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