{"id":1314,"date":"2025-05-25T13:20:35","date_gmt":"2025-05-25T13:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/?p=1314"},"modified":"2025-05-25T13:22:36","modified_gmt":"2025-05-25T13:22:36","slug":"blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/","title":{"rendered":"Blu*3, Winnie Nwagi, Suuna Ben, Gashumba &#038; Others Shut Down POATE 2025 Grand Finale"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"317\" data-end=\"613\"><em>The 9th edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) concluded on Saturday, 24th May, with a colorful cultural and music festival at Speke Resort Munyonyo. The grand finale came after three days of exhibitions, conferences, and tourism showcases. Here we give you all the fun you missed.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p data-start=\"615\" data-end=\"817\">Organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, and Talent Africa Group, the closing event brought together Uganda\u2019s top performers for a night that celebrated the country\u2019s rich culture and entertainment scene.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"819\" data-end=\"1173\">Music legends Jackie Chandiru, Lillian Mbabazi, and Cindy Sanyu \u2014 performing as the BLU *3 \u2014 headlined the night alongside top names like Winnie Nwagi, DJ Suuna Ben, Madrat and Chiko, Aliddeki Brian, Otim Alpha, Abeeka Band, and DJs Tony and Suuna Ben. Hosts for the evening included Salvador Idringi, Adele Kiele, and Sheilla Gashumba.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1175\" data-end=\"1403\">The day kicked off with a boating regatta experience on Lake Victoria, followed by early performances led by DJ Tony and the Crane Performers, who showcased Uganda\u2019s cultural diversity through traditional dance and music.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1405\" data-end=\"1625\">Singer Aliddeki Brian energized the crowd with songs like <em data-start=\"1463\" data-end=\"1483\">Empaako Ya Niwooha<\/em>, <em data-start=\"1485\" data-end=\"1498\">Akasilikiro<\/em>, and <em data-start=\"1504\" data-end=\"1522\">Njagala Nkwagale<\/em>, a fusion of traditional rhythms and modern melodies that particularly impressed international guests.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1318\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1318\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1318\" src=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE.jpg\" alt=\"POATE\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1318\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">POATE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"1627\" data-end=\"1897\">Abeeka Band followed with a 45-minute set that had the audience singing along to every cover, prompting an encore due to overwhelming demand. The energy continued with Madrat and Chiko\u2019s comedic performance, drawing laughter from skits based on their travel experiences.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1899\" data-end=\"2180\">A special highlight was a fashion showcase by IGC (Independent Garments Company), co-founded by Katende Godfrey. As the expo\u2019s official fashion curator, IGC presented a collection inspired by sustainability and heritage, reimagining Lubugo (barkcloth) into modern, stylish designs.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1319\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1319\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1319\" src=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mODEL.jpg\" alt=\"IGC presenting a collection\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mODEL.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mODEL-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mODEL-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mODEL-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mODEL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mODEL-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1319\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">IGC presenting a collection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"2182\" data-end=\"2426\">Otim Alpha, pioneer of the Acholitronix genre, delivered an upbeat set with traditional Acholi instruments and electronic music. His <em data-start=\"2320\" data-end=\"2332\">Larakaraka<\/em> sound won over new fans, especially those familiar with northern Uganda\u2019s musical traditions.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2428\" data-end=\"2629\">Winnie Nwagi then took the stage, delivering a powerful performance with hits like <em data-start=\"2511\" data-end=\"2519\">Musawo<\/em>, <em data-start=\"2521\" data-end=\"2531\">Chekecha<\/em>, <em data-start=\"2533\" data-end=\"2541\">Gyangu<\/em>, <em data-start=\"2543\" data-end=\"2550\">Magic<\/em>, and <em data-start=\"2556\" data-end=\"2564\">Amaaso<\/em> (with Vinka), drawing fans to the front in full voice and dance.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2631\" data-end=\"2886\">DJ Suuna Ben\u2019s performance was one of the night\u2019s biggest highlights. His 40-minute session had the crowd, including foreign guests, dancing non-stop. Salvador Idringi later tweeted, <em>\u201cAll I saw was kubakubakuba\u2026 goosebumps! This man is who he says he is.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1320\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1320\" style=\"width: 2047px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1320\" src=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-24-at-23.53.34_0df7ca32.jpg\" alt=\"Suuna Ben doing his set\" width=\"2047\" height=\"2559\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-24-at-23.53.34_0df7ca32.jpg 2047w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-24-at-23.53.34_0df7ca32-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-24-at-23.53.34_0df7ca32-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-24-at-23.53.34_0df7ca32-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-24-at-23.53.34_0df7ca32-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-24-at-23.53.34_0df7ca32-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2047px) 100vw, 2047px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1320\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Suuna Ben doing his set<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"2888\" data-end=\"3077\">To close the night, BLU *3 reunited to perform fan favorites such as <em data-start=\"2957\" data-end=\"2972\">Nsanyuka Nawe<\/em>, <em data-start=\"2974\" data-end=\"2989\">Mutima Gwange<\/em>, and <em data-start=\"2995\" data-end=\"3009\">Sanyu Lyange<\/em>, offering a nostalgic experience that resonated across generations.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3079\" data-end=\"3295\">POATE is an annual platform aimed at promoting Uganda as a premier destination for tourism, cultural exchange, and investment. It attracts tourism operators, investors, and travel professionals from around the world.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3297\" data-end=\"3615\"><strong>See More Photo Moments below:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3297\" data-end=\"3615\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1325\" src=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Winnie-Nwagi.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Winnie-Nwagi.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Winnie-Nwagi-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Winnie-Nwagi-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Winnie-Nwagi-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Winnie-Nwagi-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Winnie-Nwagi-2048x1638.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1324\" src=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-Ben.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2047\" height=\"2559\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-Ben.jpg 2047w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-Ben-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-Ben-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-Ben-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-Ben-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-Ben-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2047px) 100vw, 2047px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1323\" src=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-ben-Binyanya.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2047\" height=\"2559\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-ben-Binyanya.jpg 2047w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-ben-Binyanya-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-ben-Binyanya-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-ben-Binyanya-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-ben-Binyanya-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Suuna-ben-Binyanya-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2047px) 100vw, 2047px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1322\" src=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sheila-Gashumba.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2047\" height=\"2559\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sheila-Gashumba.jpg 2047w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sheila-Gashumba-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sheila-Gashumba-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sheila-Gashumba-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sheila-Gashumba-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sheila-Gashumba-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2047px) 100vw, 2047px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1321\" src=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-FASHION.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-FASHION.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-FASHION-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-FASHION-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-FASHION-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-FASHION-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-FASHION-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 9th edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) concluded on Saturday, 24th May, with a colorful cultural and music festival at Speke Resort Munyonyo. The grand finale came after three days of exhibitions, conferences, and tourism showcases. Here we give you all the fun you missed. Organized by the Ministry of Tourism, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[655,84,527,526,552,657,502,340,656],"class_list":["post-1314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-blu-3","tag-featured","tag-pearl-of-africa-tourism-expo","tag-poate","tag-sheila-gashumba","tag-speke-resort-munyonyo","tag-suuna-ben","tag-talent-africa-group","tag-winnie-nwagi"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Blu*3, Winnie Nwagi, Suuna Ben, Gashumba &amp; Others Shut Down POATE 2025 Grand Finale &#8212; Blizz Uganda News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Blu*3, Winnie Nwagi, Suuna Ben, Gashumba &amp; Others Shut Down POATE 2025 Grand Finale &#8212; Blizz Uganda News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The 9th edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) concluded on Saturday, 24th May, with a colorful cultural and music festival at Speke Resort Munyonyo. The grand finale came after three days of exhibitions, conferences, and tourism showcases. Here we give you all the fun you missed. Organized by the Ministry of Tourism, [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blizz Uganda News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/blizzuganda\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"facebook.com\/seanmusacarter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-25T13:20:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-25T13:22:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-2025-Blizz-Featured-Photo.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sean Musa Carter\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@x.com\/seanmusacarter1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BlizzUganda\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sean Musa Carter\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sean Musa Carter\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5d096cc9ce54cd714847139941cba525\"},\"headline\":\"Blu*3, Winnie Nwagi, Suuna Ben, Gashumba &#038; Others Shut Down POATE 2025 Grand Finale\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-25T13:20:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-25T13:22:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":494,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/POATE-2025-Blizz-Featured-Photo.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Blu 3\",\"Featured\",\"Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo\",\"POATE\",\"Sheila Gashumba\",\"Speke Resort Munyonyo\",\"Suuna Ben\",\"Talent Africa Group\",\"Winnie Nwagi\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Entertainment\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/\",\"name\":\"Blu*3, Winnie Nwagi, Suuna Ben, Gashumba & Others Shut Down POATE 2025 Grand Finale &#8212; Blizz Uganda News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/POATE-2025-Blizz-Featured-Photo.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-25T13:20:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-25T13:22:36+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/POATE-2025-Blizz-Featured-Photo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/POATE-2025-Blizz-Featured-Photo.png\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"POATE 2025\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blu*3, Winnie Nwagi, Suuna Ben, Gashumba &#038; Others Shut Down POATE 2025 Grand Finale\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"Blizz Uganda\",\"description\":\"Uganda Entertainment News, Celebrity Gossip, Drama, Politics and Fashion\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"Blizz Uganda\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Blizz Uganda News\",\"alternateName\":\"Blizz Uganda\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/logo.jpg\",\"width\":191,\"height\":82,\"caption\":\"Blizz Uganda News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/blizzuganda\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/BlizzUganda\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/blizz.uganda\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5d096cc9ce54cd714847139941cba525\",\"name\":\"Sean Musa Carter\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/363994675_10210508901874400_7918370576861253366_n-96x96.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/363994675_10210508901874400_7918370576861253366_n-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/363994675_10210508901874400_7918370576861253366_n-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Sean Musa Carter\"},\"description\":\"Sean Musa Carter is a Ugandan Entertainment News Journalist, a Well Experienced News Editor, Website Designer, YouTuber, Entertainment Critic and Marketing Strategist.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\",\"facebook.com\\\/seanmusacarter\",\"instagram.com\\\/seanmusacarter1\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/x.com\\\/seanmusacarter1\",\"youtube.com\\\/@seanmusacarter\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blizz.co.ug\\\/news\\\/author\\\/carter\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Blu*3, Winnie Nwagi, Suuna Ben, Gashumba & Others Shut Down POATE 2025 Grand Finale &#8212; Blizz Uganda News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Blu*3, Winnie Nwagi, Suuna Ben, Gashumba & Others Shut Down POATE 2025 Grand Finale &#8212; Blizz Uganda News","og_description":"The 9th edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) concluded on Saturday, 24th May, with a colorful cultural and music festival at Speke Resort Munyonyo. The grand finale came after three days of exhibitions, conferences, and tourism showcases. Here we give you all the fun you missed. Organized by the Ministry of Tourism, [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/","og_site_name":"Blizz Uganda News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/blizzuganda\/","article_author":"facebook.com\/seanmusacarter","article_published_time":"2025-05-25T13:20:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-25T13:22:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-2025-Blizz-Featured-Photo.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Sean Musa Carter","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@x.com\/seanmusacarter1","twitter_site":"@BlizzUganda","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sean Musa Carter","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/"},"author":{"name":"Sean Musa Carter","@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/5d096cc9ce54cd714847139941cba525"},"headline":"Blu*3, Winnie Nwagi, Suuna Ben, Gashumba &#038; Others Shut Down POATE 2025 Grand Finale","datePublished":"2025-05-25T13:20:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-25T13:22:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/"},"wordCount":494,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-2025-Blizz-Featured-Photo.png","keywords":["Blu 3","Featured","Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo","POATE","Sheila Gashumba","Speke Resort Munyonyo","Suuna Ben","Talent Africa Group","Winnie Nwagi"],"articleSection":["Entertainment"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/","url":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/","name":"Blu*3, Winnie Nwagi, Suuna Ben, Gashumba & Others Shut Down POATE 2025 Grand Finale &#8212; Blizz Uganda News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-2025-Blizz-Featured-Photo.png","datePublished":"2025-05-25T13:20:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-25T13:22:36+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-2025-Blizz-Featured-Photo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/POATE-2025-Blizz-Featured-Photo.png","width":1280,"height":720,"caption":"POATE 2025"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/blu-3-winnie-nwagi-suuna-ben-sheila-gashumba-shut-down-poate-2025-grand-finale\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blu*3, Winnie Nwagi, Suuna Ben, Gashumba &#038; Others Shut Down POATE 2025 Grand Finale"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/","name":"Blizz Uganda","description":"Uganda Entertainment News, Celebrity Gossip, Drama, Politics and Fashion","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/#organization"},"alternateName":"Blizz Uganda","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/#organization","name":"Blizz Uganda News","alternateName":"Blizz Uganda","url":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/logo.jpg","width":191,"height":82,"caption":"Blizz Uganda News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/blizzuganda\/","https:\/\/x.com\/BlizzUganda","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/blizz.uganda\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/5d096cc9ce54cd714847139941cba525","name":"Sean Musa Carter","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/363994675_10210508901874400_7918370576861253366_n-96x96.jpg","url":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/363994675_10210508901874400_7918370576861253366_n-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/363994675_10210508901874400_7918370576861253366_n-96x96.jpg","caption":"Sean Musa Carter"},"description":"Sean Musa Carter is a Ugandan Entertainment News Journalist, a Well Experienced News Editor, Website Designer, YouTuber, Entertainment Critic and Marketing Strategist.","sameAs":["https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news","facebook.com\/seanmusacarter","instagram.com\/seanmusacarter1","https:\/\/x.com\/x.com\/seanmusacarter1","youtube.com\/@seanmusacarter"],"url":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/author\/carter\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1314"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1327,"href":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1314\/revisions\/1327"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blizz.co.ug\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}