After a fallow 2025, Africa Oyé returns to Sefton Park on 20 and 21 June. A highlight of the Liverpool summer since 1992, it is the UK’s biggest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture.
The Sunday night headliner is Grammy-nominated guitarist and singer Fatoumata Diawara, an Afrofuturist chanteuse who blends jazz, funk and folk with traditional Wassoulou music – singing in her mother tongue, Bambara, and addressing crucial subjects including female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
Amongst the other highlights are Janet Kay, the reggae artist whose ‘Silly Games’ was a number 2 hit in the UK singles chart in 1979 and has one of the most outstanding, sustained high notes in popular music history.
Making his debut at the festival is Nigerian musician and ambassador for Afrobeats, Patoranking, who blends the genre with reggae and dancehall. He is also known for collaborations with the likes of Major Lazer, Wizkid, and Davido.
Also announced to perform as part of Oyé’s Sunday line-up is Nana Benz Du Togo. The group consists of 3 formidable feminist voices. Armed with nothing more than their vocals and a vintage Korg keyboard, this powerful ensemble create a unique blend of voodoo tradition and soul. Other artists on the line-up include ‘Eco-Friendly-Afro-futuristic-Punk-Assemble’ collective Fulu Miziki, Afrofuturist singer-songwriter and pioneer of Congolese Electric music Kizaba and Ghorwane, the legendary band from Maputo in Mozambique, who are celebrating 40 years of magical and original music since their formation back in 1983.
While due to rising infrastructure costs, changing legislation and the increasing challenge of keeping the event free this year will be the first ticketed event, it is still a value-for-money festival. Tickets for the entire weekend are still cheaper than many gigs at only £37 and there are discounts for students, NHS employees, groups of four or more, while children under 12 accompanied by an adult get in free.
