Bulawayo Prepares for a Night of Stories, Laughter and Legacy. For 100 years, Highlanders Football Club has been more than a name on a football fixture.
It has been a cultural institution, a source of identity and a living archive of memories shared across generations.
Now, as Bosso marks its centenary, some of those memories are set to leave the terraces and take centre stage.
On 21 August 2026, Bulawayo’s Large City Hall will become the setting for “The Comedy Roast-Bosso @100”, an ambitious celebration bringing together football, comedy, music and theatre to tell the story of Highlanders in an entirely different way.
Presented by Umahlekisa Entertainment, the event is designed to transform a century of Bosso history into a live entertainment experience, with performances exploring the club’s journey through the past 100 years.
It is a significant departure from the conventional football anniversary celebration.
Instead of simply commemorating the milestone with speeches and ceremonial moments, the organisers are creating a theatrical and humorous interpretation of the Bosso story allowing supporters to revisit the characters, moments, triumphs and memories that have shaped the club’s remarkable journey.
A celebration built around the supporters
At the centre of the occasion are the people who have carried Highlanders through generations: its supporters.
All Highlanders supporting chapters have been invited to attend, with special packages being made available for chapters that come as organised groups.
The organisers say participating chapters will receive reserved seating recognition at the venue and on the livestream, giving supporters an opportunity to visibly become part of the centenary production.
The invitation also extends beyond Zimbabwe.For Bosso supporters living in the diaspora, the centenary celebration will be accessible through a pay-per-view livestream, with supporters encouraged to organise watch parties around the world.
The Large City Hall becomes only one part of a much larger gathering. Whether in Bulawayo or thousands of kilometres away, supporters will have an opportunity to share in the occasion.
Turning history into entertainment
The appeal of the roast lies in its ability to treat football history through humour and performance.
Music, theatre and comedy will provide different lenses through which the Bosso journey can be revisited, potentially allowing familiar stories to be told with a fresh perspective.
For a club with such a deep emotional connection to Bulawayo and its supporters, this format creates room not only for laughter, but also for reflection.
The centenary becomes an opportunity to ask what Highlanders has represented across a century to the city, to its supporters and to the generations that have inherited the Bosso identity.
The celebration will also give back
Beyond entertainment, the event has a practical connection to the club itself.
According to the organisers, part of the proceeds from ticket sales will go towards supporting Highlanders Football Club.That element gives the celebration another layer of significance.Supporters attending the event will not only be buying tickets to a night of entertainment; their participation will also contribute towards the institution being celebrated.
