The 6th Mad Hatters Festival was held in Lamu, Kenya in February 2020. 143 elaborately-decorated participants gathered on Peponi Beach, Shela, to compete for prizes for the best hats. As ever it was a fun and friendly day with a fabulous atmosphere of crazy creativity …
Here are some of the competition entries – including giant birds, sea creatures, buildings, furniture and musical instruments. All these hats and large smiles were dancing on the beach to the reggae rhythms. The contest was followed by a baby dhow race on the beautiful waters of the Indian Ocean.
Locals and visitors all enjoyed the day.
The head-gear winner was the lady below in the centre with plastic exploded bottles on her head, organised beautifully like a fire work. This was her flamboyant call for a plastic-free environment.
The Mad Hatters Festival will be back in February 2022 and you can still see all creations from 2010 at the Lamu Fort thanks to Roland Pictures and the National Museums of Kenya.
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Lamu is a small island off the north-east coast of Kenya, untouched by mass tourism. It has historic Arabic-style buildings and narrow bustling streets with no cars. The island has beautiful white sand beaches and is surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean – an ideal location for relaxing at the end of a safari adventure. Visitors have a good choice of accommodation including hotels, boutique lodges and beach houses.
Find out more: Kenya Beach Resorts
