This, this is what movie premieres are made of! Nights that make you remember why people still love the cinema experience in the first place.
Friday night, May 22, Visa Kenya in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company, hosted an exclusive red carpet media screening for Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu at Cinemax and for a few hours, those of us at the cinemax felt plugged directly into the Star Wars universe.
Ofcourse the atmosphere was electric long before the lights dimmed. Guests arrived to a full red carpet experience complete with cameras flashing and fans genuinely excited to be among the first in Kenya to watch the latest chapter of the Star Wars story in 3D.
As much as we all were excited about the film, there was much more to it than that. Beyond the film itself, the night was really about the experience. Visa’s collaboration with Disney leaned heavily into the idea that everyday payments can unlock memorable moments. And that is exactly what the event delivered.
The MC kept the room lively from start to finish, effortlessly mixing humour with fan excitement. He kept reminding guests to “take photos so we can brag to those who haven’t watched the film yet how we are better than them,” a line that drew laughter across the room every single time.
And then there were the snacks. If we are being completely honest, no great cinema night survives on popcorn alone (although the popcorn itself deserves praise.) Guests were treated to chicken bites, mushroom snacks, mini pizzas and rich chocolate cake that somehow disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived. Combined with the warm Cinemax ambience, the entire evening felt less like a corporate screening and more like a genuinely enjoyable night out with fellow film lovers.
According to the official synopsis:
“The Mandalorian and Grogu embark on their most thrilling mission yet in Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” an all new Star Wars film opening exclusively in theatres May 22, 2026. The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu. Directed by Jon Favreau, “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” also stars Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White, is written by Jon Favreau & Dave Filoni & Noah Kloor, and is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, p.g.a., Ian Bryce, p.g.a., Jon Favreau, p.g.a., and Dave Filoni, p.g.a., with Karen Gilchrist, John Bartnicki and Carrie Beck serving as executive producers. The music is composed by Ludwig Göransson.”
Speaking about the collaboration, Sheila Changangu, Marketing Director, East Africa, Visa, said:
“For our cardholders, this is more than a film premiere. It is a chance to be among the first in Kenya to step into the next chapter of the Star Wars story, together. Visa’s collaboration with The Walt Disney Company is about exactly that: turning everyday payments into access, and access into moments worth remembering.”
Trushna Buddhdev-Patel, Managing Director, Crimson Multimedia Ltd, added:
“We’re excited to bring the film to cinemas wide across East Africa, and urge audiences to watch it on the big screen where the visuals, sound and emotions are an immersed experience.”
And truthfully, after watching the audience reactions throughout the screening, that statement makes perfect sense. This is the kind of film built for cinema; loud sound, giant visuals, collective gasps, laughter, suspense and the occasional fan trying very hard not to spoil scenes during intermission.
As Kenya continues embracing more global entertainment premieres and immersive fan culture, nights like this show how brands are increasingly trying to create experiences as opposed to simply just advertisements.
Congratulations are in order to Visa for outdoing themselves. You understood the assignment here. The event felt polished without feeling stiff, exciting without trying too hard and most importantly, entertaining in a way that actually made guests want to post about it afterwards.
Which, judging from the endless photo sessions and social media uploads before the credits even rolled, is exactly what happened.
