Watoto Church Cantata moves to new venue to accommodate growing audiences

Pastor Edward Mwesigye, Pastoral Team Leader at Watoto Church speaking to media during the press conference.

KAMPALA, UGANDA — Watoto Church announced a major venue change for its annual Christmas Cantata, moving the 2025 production to Old Kampala Senior Secondary School to accommodate rapidly growing audiences.

The 2025 Cantata, titled “Son of God,” will run from Dec. 17 to Dec. 22. For the first time in its 40-year history, the event will be held outdoors.

Watoto Church has historically staged the Cantata at its Downtown Hall, which seats about 1,200 people. According to church leadership, the venue has become too small to handle the large number of attendees, causing many to miss the show in recent years.

The move to Old Kampala Senior Secondary School is expected to allow more than 50,000 people to attend the production in a festive, open-air environment.

At the Cantata launch event, Pastor Edward Mwesigye, Pastoral Team Leader at Watoto Church, confirmed that the production remains a free gift to the community. He said the event’s main goal is to share “God’s redeeming love for humanity” through dance, drama and music retelling the nativity story.

The show features more than 1,000 performers and crew members, incorporating music, dance, drama, audio-visual effects and traditional Christmas songs.

The 2025 schedule includes a new event, The City’s Carols Night, on Wednesday, Dec. 17, starting at 8 p.m. This service, which will include a collective of churches and the lighting of what is anticipated to be Africa’s tallest Christmas tree, precedes the main “Son of God” Cantata show. The Cantata will run nightly at 8 p.m. from Dec. 19 to Dec. 22.

Pastor Graham Tugume, Pastor for Worship Arts, attributed the Cantata’s continued success to its creativity and the involvement of many young people. He noted that the program helps young performers develop skills in music, acting and stage production.

Pastor Tugume also assured attendees that “total safety for everyone who will be attending” is pledged, and that money collected through the offertory will support vulnerable children.