Watoto Church officially launched its annual Christmas Cantata—an iconic Christmas story shared every December through music, dance, and drama—as a gift to the people of Kampala. The launch was held during a press conference on 19 November at Watoto Church Downtown.

Pastor Eddie Mwesigye, the Pastoral Team Leader at Watoto Church, also expressed excitement about the upcoming event.

“For the first time in 40 years, instead of the Downtown venue that seats 1,200 people, we are moving to a space that can host about 10,000 people per day. This change is driven by one purpose: to reach more people with the Gospel of Jesus,” he noted.

What excites the team even more is the city-wide Christmas Carol Night taking place on 17 December. This collaborative worship event will bring together different churches to sing carols and light up what is expected to be the tallest and biggest Christmas tree Kampala has ever seen.

“We are going to light up what I believe will be the biggest Christmas tree you’ve ever seen—taller than many skyscrapers in Kampala. I believe it will be visible from the seven hills of the city,” Pastor Eddie said.

He emphasized that the lighting of the Christmas tree symbolizes the message that Jesus is the light of the world, the true reason for the season.

According to the Worship Arts Pastor, Graham Tugume, this year’s edition will be “bigger, brighter, and better.”

“For over 40 years, Watoto Church has put on a Christmas show as a gift of love to the city of Kampala and to the nation of Uganda,” he said.

This year, however, the church is taking a bold new step. For the first time, the Cantata will be held outdoors, a pioneering open-air experience at Old Kampala Senior Secondary School, blending music, dance, drama, and creativity on a massive scale.

The theme for this year’s Cantata, “Son of God,” reflects a fresh presentation of the timeless message of God’s love.

“We want to grip in a new form an old message—that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to be born in a manger, live through the challenges of life, and die for the sins of man,” Pr. Graham explained.

Traditionally, the Cantata features 17–18 shows across seven days at Watoto Church Downtown, with a limited capacity. This year, the capacity has been expanded ten times.

“We are doing one show per night, outdoors. No long queues—and only four nights of the Christmas Cantata, from 19–22 December,” he added.

Several partners have joined hands with Watoto Church to make the Cantata a citywide experience.

According to Calvin Mukooli, the Brand Events and Activation Personnel at SafeBoda Uganda, they eagerly came on board as part of giving back to the community.

“As part of our contribution, we want to make getting to and from the venue easier by offering massive discounts to revelers,” he said.

Similarly, Fiona Tamale, Events Manager at Vision Group, noted that partnering with Watoto Church felt timely.

“We feel the Cantata is a beautiful initiative. At Vision Group, we always strive to put out transformational content that advances society,” she said.

She further encouraged the people of Kampala to download the Vision Digital Experience App on the Google Play Store to enjoy the Christmas Cantata throughout the season.

As the countdown to Christmas begins, Watoto Church’s Cantata stands as a bold invitation to the people of Kampala—an opportunity to gather, worship, celebrate, and encounter the true meaning of the season. With a larger stage and an even bigger heart, Watoto Church hopes to light up the city with the message of hope found in Jesus Christ.