Dickson Matata has always wanted to do something with his life. And from a young age, he sought to contribute to the grand circle of accomplishments, his own version of building the nation.
The founder of Rhythm & Brunch and Millennial Cookout may not see the correlation, but the causation that led him here is evident: “I’ve always wanted to be the kind of guy who brings people together,” he says. “In high school, I’d organise events through the journalism and drama club.”
That seed that sprouted in high school fully bloomed during the Covid-19 period, and its fruit was an events company. “I used to hate going to clubs. Because the clubs were the same, they played the same music and were rowdy. I could not see the value of clubbing anymore.”
“I figured I could come up with an event where I could enjoy music from my millennial era, artists like Liquideep, in the park or a garden, a day party, and by midnight everyone is back home.”
That was not the day Rhythm & Brunch was born, but it was the day it was christened, holding its first event in March 2024 at The Location in Kilimani, followed by three editions there each month before moving to Tigoni in August 2024 for large-scale events. Since then, Rhythm & Brunch has been held three times a year. Ditto Millennial Cookout, which kicked off in January 2025.
There is, he agrees, a lot of clamour for the millennial pocket. “To be fair,” he says, “We were the first guys to do events for millennials. Now, everyone is doing it.”
“The difference between our events and the other events is that, for us, we are very intentional. We are doing it as a passion. We try to twist our events and create so much competitive advantage in many ways that even if you try to copy our events, it's not the same.”
In a universe where events and hangouts are facsimiles of the same original, this game is decided only by who are the more faithful version. That’s where the money is.
“We sat down and looked for what takes up most of our costs. And the thing that came up top was furniture for events.”
Now, they make their own furniture, with everyone getting a seat, which reduces the cost of running their events. They also do their own bar, which earns them a significant chunk to complement their ticket prices.
“Brands see what we are doing, and they trust us more, and that leads to long-term partnerships. Which is how we plan for the year and bring in big artistes.”
“One thing we tried to do from the jump for Rhythm was brand positioning it as a premium event. And I think that has given us so much leverage, because we can attract the right crowd and bring on board the right artists, the people that we work with. And I think the market has seen that.” In his business, credibility balances the profit-loss ledger.
Behind the Millennial Cookout fire is fuel kindled by millennials’ nostalgia. “People were looking for community, and we gave it to them. Nostalgia is the biggest currency when it comes to such events. Meeting your old friends from high school and university, or bopping to the music that raised you.”
But what happens when nostalgia fades out? “I think that's a very big bucket that I don't think people will ever get rid of. We try to evolve with every event. So if you attend Millennial Cookout in March and you attend the next one in June, it's a totally different experience.”
“However, in the next maybe 10 to 15 years, most millennials will be older. Right now, as a company, we're also trying to venture into other events, especially for Gen-Z.”
It’s been a hard road, no matter how easy he makes it seem. In 2023, he says, they brought WSTRN, a band from the UK, but the ticket pricing strategy was off.
“We believed the brands would run after us, but we ended up running after them.” They lost about Sh2 million.
To plan a single event can take up to six months, he says. “I must estimate the number of tickets we need to sell, which is usually 3,000. Then we do the estimates for the bar, tickets, and sponsors. Then we see if it is workable.”
On average, his core team of 10 includes his co-founder and two agencies that they work with, one for PR and another for branding. “Everyone else is outsourced based on need, including a pool of creatives and production teams.”
Is his biggest competition freshness or sameness? “Boredom. One of the key things I talk about in events is the ability to become agile. If you come to an event two months apart, you should get a very different experience.”
“When we started Rhythm & Brunch, it was a DJ-only event, old school music and all. We were slowly losing touch. So this year for Valentine’s Day, we brought a band from the UK, Sol and the Gang, and they performed three sets in intervals of DJ, band, DJ, band, DJ, band. And that changed the entire dynamic of the event, because now this is live music of your favourite old school R&B music.”
Matata credits word of mouth as his go-to channel of marketing. Success, after all, loves a witness.
Everyone wants to be exclusive but still feel included, hence why everyone gets a seat and VIP treatment. “We also try to price our tickets not so low and not so high, to also filter who comes.”
Why do millennials need these kinds of events right now? “The main reason is why not?” he says. “People are so busy, and they barely go out anymore. They are looking for a space for a day event, meet friends from the past, meet new people, and by midnight, they are back home.”
This year, Matata will be stepping down from being the totem and brand manager. “We will be getting brand managers for both events. That way, they can bring new ideas and freshness.”
Having been in the trenches, he offers a view none can. “I think people do events for the wrong reasons. Just because someone else has opened a shop does not mean you should open a shop there too. Because they’re just there for profit, not caring about the customer experience.”
The major challenge he is facing now is liquidity. For instance, to book the American R&B artist Joe required a down payment of Sh12 million, four months before the event.
“Because the events are very capital-intensive, we normally just break even and make something from the event. But most of the time, most of the money will come way after. It's because maybe Brand X came on board, and they're going to pay after 60 days. To run an events company, you need to be liquid.”
If it all works out, what does he see in his crystal ball? “A very big cultural event that we can do a festival for three days, but each day headlined by a different legacy artiste. For Rhythm & Brunch, we are looking at destination events and travel, like in Zanzibar.”
Now 35, newly married, and with a seven-month-old baby, Matata is setting up a board of directors for governance. It’s the next logical step up, recognising when the beat has changed and sashaying to the new rhythm. “But if someone comes on board and they offer us good money to sell,” he says, “Why not?”
