Kampala rolled out a hero’s welcome this week as the Ghetto Kids touched down on home soil, fresh off performing before one of the largest television audiences in history at the FIFA World Cup 2026 final halftime show, sharing the stage with global icons Shakira and Burna Boy. The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) hosted a homecoming reception for the young dance troupe.
UTB Chief Executive Officer Juliana Kagwa said the World Cup stage was the latest chapter in a partnership UTB has nurtured for years, well before the world’s cameras turned to Kampala’s Katanga slum, where the troupe was founded.
“In terms of our local talent and people that have been already positioning Uganda as a country full of vibe, full of joy, dance, music, food, and culture, some of the content that the Ghetto Kids produced ahead of going to the World Cup was in direct service of that,” Kagwa said.
“Our ambassadors, our influencers, and these young Ugandans got this opportunity, world visibility on the biggest football platform in the universe, literally speaking,” Kagwa noted.
The Ghetto Kids represent youth. Uganda is vivacious. We have energy, which the Ghetto Kids represent.
“For us, AFCON 2027 is so much more than the football. You come for the football, you stay for the wildlife, you stay for the landscape, you stay for the heritage, you stay for the culture, you stay for the people,” Kagwa said.
For the troupe, the World Cup halftime show was a milestone they will not forget. “It feels good because that was my first time. We got the FIFA World Cup finals, the biggest stage in the whole world. I was feeling good. I was so excited. That was a dream come true,” said Dauda Kavuma, manager of the Ghetto Kids.
Ivan, one of the troupe’s dancers, described the atmosphere on stage. “It was fun. The experience was good. There were a lot of lights. People were cheering. There were very many people who were at the stadium, being at the World Cup halftime show performing before a lot of celebrities. It was so nice, and it hits different.”
Kavuma also made the troupe’s availability known for future engagements. “We are very ready and open to partner with the Uganda Tourism Board or any tourism industry in Uganda to promote our country because we are ready. We showed them that as we got the chance to perform for the World Cup, many people now have their eyes on Uganda in a positive way,” he said.
UTB has backed the Ghetto Kids before their global breakout, stood with them through it, and is now positioning them as part of Uganda’s storytelling ahead of AFCON 2027 and beyond. The Ghetto Kids, for their part, have made clear they are ready.
