Three major international acts have been revealed for this June's Africa Oyé Festival in Liverpool's Sefton Park.

Patoranking: The Nigerian Music Icon Making His Liverpool Debut

Making his Liverpool debut at this year's festival is multiple award-winning Nigerian musician, Patoranking.

A visionary in the African music industry and a cultural ambassador for Afrobeats, Patoranking blends the genre with reggae and dancehall to create a unique sound that resonates worldwide. He is a an MTV Africa Music Awards winner and earned recognition 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 alone.

 

Fulu Miziki: Sonic and Cultural Ambassadors at Africa Oyé 2026

Joining him on the line-up is cutting-edge band Fulu Miziki, which roughly translates as “music from garbage” which is a fitted description of the thrillingly chaotic Eco-Friendly-Afro-futuristic-Punk-Assemble collective of artists who 'come straight from a future where humans have reconciled with mother earth and with themselves'.

This multidisciplinary collective of artists is based in the heart of Africa, in the Congolese capital city Kinshasa. For several years now, its members have spent an amount of time conceptualising an orchestra made from objects 'found in trash', constantly changing instruments, and always in search of new sounds. Making their own instruments, performance costumes, and masks is essential to the approach of Fulu Miziki’s musical core ideology.

Their unique sound supports a pan-African message of artistic liberation, peace and an uncompromising look at the ecological situation of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the whole world. For Fulu everything can be 'recovered and re-enchanted'.

 

Paul Duhaney, Artistic Director Africa Oyé spoke about the decision for the acts: "Patroranking is a giant of Afrobeats and an artist we're delighted to be able to bring to Liverpool this summer. As well as being a fantastic performer, his commitment to promoting the abundance of positivity coming out of Africa and championing of young talent from the continent also chimes perfectly with our ethos as a festival. With Fulu Miziki, it was a no brainer to book them for this summer after forces outside of their control meant they missed out at our last festival before the fallow year. They're a sight to behold on stage and I can promise Liverpool that they'll be worth the wait!"

 

Fatoumata Diawara: A Triumphant Return to Sefton Park as Africa Oyé's Sunday Headliner

The Sunday headliner is no other than Grammy-nominated guitarist and singer Fatoumata Diawara, who is set to make a triumphant return to Sefton Park this summer, fifteen years after her first UK festival performance at Africa Oyé.

Fatoumata Diawara is a major figure in African music whose performances 'tell the story' of the continent. Singing in her mother tongue, Bambara, the Afrofuturist's live shows make her audiences laugh, cry and above all, dance.

Having fled Mali at the age of 19 to write her own story, Fatoumata Diawara continues, at 43, to examine society's flaws while celebrating her dual life as an artist and a mother. Through her singing and vibrant voice, Diawara addresses crucial subjects such as female genital mutilation and forced marriage - personal hardships that she transforms into a universal message of hope and resilience.

Artistic Director of Africa Oyé, Paul Duhaney reveals "I first met Fatou at Oyé when she was performing as part of the legendary Oumou Sangre's band way back in the early days of the festival. She handed me a CD and told me she was launching a solo career. You could tell back then she was destined for big things and we booked her in 2011 for one of her first UK solo shows. It's amazing to see how far she's come since then and to be able to bring her back as a headliner this year [...} At the 2019 Grammys she was nominated for Best World Music Album and has recently made history, becoming the first woman of colour to be given an Epiphone signature guitar. Guitar World described the news as "a milestone that not only honors her immense artistic contributions but also serves as a long-overdue nod to those who came before her and paved the way."

 

Celebrating African and Caribbean Culture: The Evolution of Africa Oyé Festival

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. It's growth over the last 33 years has seen it taken to multiple venues, including Birkenhead Park, Princes Park, and Concert Square. Since 2002, it has taken place in the picturesque surroundings of Sefton Park.

It is the UK's biggest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture and 2026 will be a ticketed event offering earlybird prices, groups discounts and free entry for children under 12.

This year's celebration will deliver an eclectic mix of international live acts, emerging talent, community performances, family friendly workshops, DJs, world cuisine, arts & crafts and much more.

Festival tickets are on sale now. Click link below for buy yours today!

Tickets

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https://africaoye.com/tickets/

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