September Reign Festival: Using Music and Creative Expression to Champion Suicide Prevention

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26 September 2026 | The Terrace Art space Mnarani, Kilifi County.

Another September. Another reason to live, create, and rise.

Introduction

Suicide prevention requires collective action, supportive communities, and spaces where people can openly discuss their wellbeing. In Kenya, suicide remains a significant public health concern, affecting individuals, families, and communities.

Recognizing the potential of music and creative expression to encourage meaningful conversations, the September Reign Festival seeks to bring artists, young people, and music audiences together to champion suicide prevention, strengthen resilience, and promote personal wellbeing.

Scheduled for 26 September 2026, the festival is designed to go beyond entertainment by incorporating wellbeing conversations, personal assessments for creatives, and opportunities to build supportive connections.

Understanding the Suicide Prevention Challenge in Kenya

According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2023, Kenya's reported suicide mortality rate was 6.1 per 100,000 people. National statistics also highlight an important gender disparity: the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics' Vital Statistics Report 2024 indicates that, among people aged 15–29, approximately five out of every six registered suicide cases across 2023 and 2024 involved males. These figures underline the importance of understanding gender-related experiences and ensuring that prevention and support efforts are accessible to everyone.

The Situation in Kilifi and the Coast

In Kilifi County, the challenge has been highlighted by local authorities and health stakeholders. Reporting by The Coast in September 2024 cited 59 suicide deaths recorded in 2023, with men accounting for the majority. The report identified Malindi, Kilifi South, and Kilifi North among the sub-counties reporting cases.

Further reporting by The Standard in September 2025 cited county government statistics indicating 68 deaths by suicide in Kilifi between September 2024 and August 2025. These figures should be understood within their stated reporting periods and sources; they do not establish a current Coast-wide total or provide a complete gender breakdown for every county.

The figures point to the need for sustained community awareness, accessible support, and collaboration among families, young people, health practitioners, community organizations, and other stakeholders.

The Impact on Families and Communities

Suicide affects more than the individual. Families and friends may experience grief, emotional distress, stigma, and lasting disruption. Communities can also experience the loss of valuable relationships, skills, leadership, and contributions from people whose lives matter.

Economic hardship, unemployment, social isolation, relationship difficulties, and other pressures have been identified by local stakeholders as concerns in Kilifi. These challenges demonstrate why prevention should include supportive relationships, open conversations, and accessible pathways to assistance rather than placing responsibility solely on individuals.

Music as a Tool for Suicide Prevention

Music can create opportunities for people to express emotions, recognise shared experiences, and engage with difficult subjects in accessible ways. Artists can use their platforms to challenge stigma, encourage help-seeking, communicate messages of hope, and remind audiences that support is available.

Research published in The BMJ examined the release and public engagement surrounding rapper Logic's suicide-prevention song. The study found an association between exposure to the song and increased calls to a suicide prevention lifeline, alongside a reduction in suicides during a period of widespread discussion. While this does not mean every song or concert will produce the same outcomes, it demonstrates the potential value of carefully developed music and media initiatives in supporting prevention efforts.

September Reign seeks to apply this potential through live performances, storytelling, and conversations that encourage connection, resilience, and positive approaches to wellbeing.

Recognizing the Unseen Stressors Facing Creatives

Artists and music professionals are often celebrated for their talent and public performances, while the pressures they experience behind the scenes may receive less attention. These can include financial instability, irregular working schedules, performance anxiety, career uncertainty, social isolation, demanding travel, and the pressure to maintain a public image while navigating personal challenges.

A 2025 review published in Frontiers in Public Health identifies several occupational and psychosocial stressors affecting musicians, including financial insecurity, exploitative industry practices, performance-related anxiety, irregular sleep, and heightened social media exposure. The research highlights the importance of prevention approaches that address both individual wellbeing and the working environments in which musicians operate.

September Reign recognizes that creatives need more than opportunities to perform. They also need supportive environments where wellbeing can be discussed without stigma, where concerns can be taken seriously, and where appropriate support can be accessed.

What Will Happen at the September Reign Festival?

The festival will bring creatives, young people, and audiences together for live music, DJ performances, storytelling, and conversations on suicide prevention and personal wellbeing.

A key component will be personal wellbeing assessments for participating creatives, alongside resilience-building conversations. These activities are intended to encourage reflection, identify areas where support may be helpful, and strengthen connections among artists.

The festival will also use music and creative expression to promote awareness, challenge stigma, and encourage supportive relationships within the creative community.

Building an Annual Creative Wellbeing Movement

September Reign is envisioned as an annual platform for creative wellbeing and suicide prevention. Beyond the 2026 festival, the initiative intends to begin awareness-raising, partnership development, and mobilization from January 2027, with the ambition of expanding the next edition and reaching more creatives and young people.

Through continued collaboration with artists, wellbeing practitioners, community organizations, and other stakeholders, September Reign aims to sustain conversations and build a culture in which creatives are supported both on and off the stage.

Join the Movement

The September Reign Festival invites artists, young people, music fans, partners, and supporters to become part of a collective effort to champion wellbeing, resilience, and suicide prevention.