Saturday afternoon seemed a good time to sample the atmosphere of this year’s Bonn Fest. The verdict: Very crowded indeed, with everyone fearing this might be the last warm and sunny Saturday of 2023. I caught veteran one-man-band Tom Drost entertaining busy shoppers at Munsterplatz and Melchi Vepouyoum at Marktplatz.

Up at Marktplatz Melchi Vepouyoum was stealing the show. First directing the Ndaluu Afro A Capella Choir and then delivering a super set backed by Leonie Wollersheim (cello) and Jan Teichmann (guitar). It seems a million years ago now that Melchi first stepped before the audience at Bonn Folk Club and blew us away with his Cameroon-inspired songs and melodies. Now he plays to large audiences at Harmonie and Stadtgarten and manages to draw a crowd even amongst hundreds of eager shoppers at Marktplatz. Wonderful stuff indeed!