The UK’s biggest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture returns to Liverpool on 20th and 21st June this summer -at its Grade 1-listed, 200-acre home of Sefton Park; the city’s largest open space.
The Africa Oyé festival began back in 1992 as a series of gigs in Liverpool city centre, originally coming out of the monthly “Club Corinto” nights which were produced by the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign.
Its growth over the last 33 years has seen the festival take place in multiple locations including Birkenhead Park, Princes Park, and Concert Square. Africa Oyé has taken place in the Sefton Park since 2002.
Africa Oyé celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2022, and in 2024 enjoyed its busiest ever festival, attracting more than 80,000 people. It has played host to artists from nations across Africa and also from The Caribbean, South America and the wider Diaspora, as well as main stage slots for emerging musicians, DJs and community performances.
The Sunday night headliner for Oyé 2026 is Grammy-nominated guitarist and singer Fatoumata Diawara, 15 years after her first UK festival performance at Africa Oyé.
Having fled Mali at the age of 19, Diawara continues, at 43, to examine society’s flaws while celebrating her dual life as an artist and a mother. She blends jazz, funk and folk with traditional Wassoulou music – singing in her mother tongue, Bambara.
Making his Liverpool debut at this year’s festival is multiple award-winning Nigerian musician, Patoranking. A cultural ambassador for Afrobeats, Patoranking blends the genre with reggae and dancehall. He is an MTV Africa Music Awards winner and earned the prestigious accolade of being included in Forbes Africa’s ’30 Under 30 class of 2020′.
Patoranking’s career achieved prominence when he released his hit single “My Woman My Everything” in 2016, which played a pivotal role in the global recognition of Afrobeats.
With a series of successful releases under his label Amari Musiq, including tracks such as “Babylon” “Abule” and “Kolo Kolo” and collaborations with the likes of Major Lazer, Wizkid, and Davido, his music has collectively amassed nearly a billion streams on YouTube.
The first Black British female reggae artist to have a # 1 in the UK, Janet Kay makes her Oyé debut in 2026. The multi-award-winning artist is best known for her stellar hit single “Silly Games”. She has been produced by a host of legendary producers/artists, including the late great Alton Ellis, Jackie Mitto and Sugar Minot.
Also part of Sunday’s line-up is Nana Benz Du Togo. The group consists of an ensemble of formidable feminist voices. Armed with nothing more than their vocals and a vintage Korg keyboard, this powerful outfit create a unique blend of voodoo tradition and soul.
Also appearing will be ‘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 Mozambique, who are celebrating 40 years of magical and original music since their formation back in 1983.
There will be more than 100 stalls selling food, drink, arts and crafts and fashion from Africa and beyond in the Oyé Village. There will be a new Family Zone with creative activities for all ages and abilities.
This year’s celebration will be the first ticketed Oyé in Sefton Park in the festival’s history, following a fallow year in 2025 due to rising infrastructure costs, changing legislation, and the increasingly difficult challenge of keeping the event free.
The organisers are committed to making it affordable with low ticket prices and children under 12 receiving free entry to the event (with a paying adult).
Paul Duhaney, Artistic Director Africa Oyé said: “This is an exciting new era for the festival and we’re embracing the challenges that come with the changes. The line-up is one that myself and the team are really happy about, with two headliners that will show all our new audience members just what the festival is all about. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Sefton Park this summer.”
Photo credits:
Nana Benz Du Togo by Arnold Anani
Fulu Miziki by Francois Fleury
King Ayisoba by Nick Helderman
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