The Juniper Massive: Nairobi’s Sexy New Party Knows How Sexy It Is

There wasn’t any room for doubt on Saturday about where the place to be in Nairobi was, for the in-crowd. The party swung on from day until night, spitting the troubled skies with dance and drink under the clouds. Juniper Massive was definitely some shade of cool, everyone there knew it and decided to revel in the format of it all.

The festivities started in the day, with a semi picnic-like atmosphere, families intermingling with the hard core party animals: all enjoying a smorgasbord of sausage and jar-delivered cocktails. Grills hot and tables crowded, the weather hung on a razor’s edge, evicting the lesser committed party people out into the night.

Only those with a penchant for dance and drink stayed behind and there sure was a big enough quorum to keep it crowded. The free entrance was a strong factor in the turnout, something that all too often in Nairobi isn’t on the agenda for events. The end month correlation seemed to mash up nicely, not that too many of the people on the dance floor were falling into the empty pocket category. Jugs of cocktails were slung around like pin balls, cucumbers and limes carpeting the floor. Under the tents, the conversations ran heavy into the night, buckets of beer providing the catalyst for a torrent of emotions.

The dance floor crowd was easy-going : this was the big weekend out, a carnival for adults in the vein of an old-world German beer garden. With the speakers shielded under the eaves of a roof, the music remained safe from impending storm clouds. The young and hip danced and twirled, Tusker Lite beers in hand to keep them young and skinny, chemicals rushing strongly through the bloodstream.

Yes, Juniper Kitchen is now the place to be, the very thought of an event there has the masses salivating at the possibilities of a night of unimpeded fun in one of the sexiest atmospheres anywhere in Nairobi.

DJ L.A. Dave, who was a part of the line up during the event helped to explain some of what drew in the crowd so heavily, “What was different for Juniper Massive is that we wanted to make it all about the people coming together with the music.” This rang true, the music did a service while not over powering the entirety of the venue; conversation could still continue away from the dance floor, a most welcome change from the eardrum-rattling club scene.

So is the arrival of the next happening Nairobi bar upon us? “Juniper is definitely the spot right now,” says L.A. Dave matter-of-factly.

 

Juniper Massive was the party where everyone found themselves mingling, the outside and the “it” crowd suddenly finding themselves side by side. “I loved the whole warming up thing during the day and how by night time everyone is all fired up and mingling,” said partygoer Laura over a jar full of Junipers signature gin drink.

If nothing else the mingle aspect sure took on its own character, groups that were within their own sphere quickly faded into reveling with everyone. Whatever the Juniper Massive was, it could spell a new kind of party for the Nairobi scene.