Marking ten years of uncensored, trilingual storytelling at working-class bars, KACHA KACHA’s upcoming anniversary celebration blends colourful archive installations, a new Equipment Grant launch, and a communal call for solidarity that transcends language, class, and genre.
What began in 2015 as a modest curated evening of performances at the now-defunct Castle Hotel has evolved into one of Colombo’s most enduring creative platforms. In 2025, KACHA KACHA marks a decade of uncensored expression, community care, and cultural resistance with a milestone gathering on Saturday, August 23 from 6pm to 11pm at the Government Service Sports Club in Colombo. The evening promises a vibrant return to the spirit that started it all while remaining free and open to anyone who believes in the power of honest, homegrown art.
Since its inception, KACHA KACHA has championed radical inclusivity, offering a rare and vital space for poets, rappers, singer-songwriters, and other artists to perform in Tamil, Sinhala, English or a seamless mix of all three, celebrating diversity at the core of Sri Lankan culture. By gathering in working-class bars, the event series redefined who art is for and where it lives, where unpolished stories linger, welcoming bar regulars, newcomers, and misfits alike into a shared experience of truth-telling, rhythm, and reflection.
Then Colomboscope Co-curator Radhika Hettiarachchi commissioned the event to spotlight a venue close to her heart that was under threat of demolition. She says, “The concept behind KACHA KACHA was the city, identity and urbanity. I wanted to challenge what Colombo was becoming: a post-war development dream of beautification and cleansing. The Castle Hotel was a symbol of the disappearing ‘real’ city. The idea wasn’t to co-opt this place but to ‘people it’ with histories and music: to realise the city’s potential as a place we could all live without the threat of evictions. That’s how KACHA KACHA came to be, and Imaad became its champion.” For early co-conspirator Dylan Prins, the heart of the platform has always been about co-creation. He says, “It is a space where anyone can walk into and feel camaraderie, autonomy and joy within the space.” KACHA KACHA was born from “a need to dissolve segregation. It was never just an event, it was a movement rooted in solidarity,” says co-conspirator, Director and Curator Imaad Majeed.
The event will feature the launch of a commemorative zine filled with memories, posters, and reflections from the past ten years, alongside an immersive archive installation showcasing video coverage of past editions. Panel discussions with past and future artists will explore their journeys and challenges, followed by a spontaneous open mic segment that invites anyone to share poetry, music, or their personal journey with the platform. The team will also announce the KACHA KACHA Equipment Grant, a new initiative to help emerging artists access vital tools like microphones, instruments, and recording gear, especially for those working without institutional support or stable income within marginalised communities. A crowdfunding campaign will be launched at the event to facilitate the grant.
The collective aims to raise Rs. 100,000 (LKR) through small community contributions to fund the evening’s basic costs, including sound rental, refreshments, zine printing, and travel costs. “We’ve never run this platform at a loss,” says Majeed. “Crowdfunding keeps it honest and transparent, and people always come together to support and build community, and anyone is welcome”.
As KACHA KACHA looks ahead, a new working group of past performers and organisers will shape its future, listening closely to the evolving needs of artists and deepening the collective’s commitment to inclusivity, creative freedom, and class-conscious gathering. This next chapter is not just driven by those on stage, but also by the bar owners who’ve thrown open their doors with pride, harkening back to their golden age.
KACHA KACHA has never been about perfection or prestige. It’s been about presence, about truth, vulnerability, and carving out a space where voices rise without permission. Over the years, we’ve laughed, cried, protested, and danced together. On this night, we return to that rhythm.
On August 23, the collective invites everyone, whether longtime fans or first-timers, to come as they are and to witness what happens when art is unfiltered and uncensored. For those who’d like to learn more or support the movement, please contact Imaad Majeed at 0766696489.