Birmingham’s Gambian community is buzzing with controversy as a clash brews over two major events scheduled for this weekend – and it’s all centered around Senegalese musician Wally Seck.
The organizers of the annual Gambian Cultural Weekend, Campeh Bi Group, accused SM Globally Sorted Ltd, a Scotland-based events company, of trying to hijack their spotlight by hosting a Wally Seck concert and after-party on July 19–20, 2025, the exact same dates as their long-running cultural event.
In a statement to What’s On-Gambia, Campeh Bi claimed the move is a deliberate attempt to capitalize on the crowds expected to attend their popular football tournament and cultural festivities, held every third weekend of July for the past five years.
“This event has always been about community, not profit,” said Campeh Bi. “We’ve poured our own resources into it to celebrate Gambian culture. Now, it feels like someone’s trying to divide us just to make money.”
The group also said their event dates were published as early as October 2024, and they tried to negotiate with SM Globally Sorted to avoid a scheduling conflict, but talks reportedly broke down.
While the Wally Seck show is expected to draw big crowds of Afrobeat and mbalax fans, tensions remain high over whether the overlapping dates could sour the celebratory vibe both events aim to bring.