Africa Oyé has announced its first two international acts for the 2026 edition of the festival, returning as a ticketed event in Liverpool’s Sefton Park on 20–21 June.
Nigerian artist Patoranking will make his Liverpool debut at this year’s festival. A prominent figure in the African music industry and a noted Afrobeats ambassador, he combines Afrobeats with reggae and dancehall. His career broke through internationally with the 2016 hit single “My Woman My Everything”.
He later founded the label Amari Musiq and has released tracks including “Babylon”, “Abule”, and “Kolo Kolo”, while collaborating with Major Lazer, Wizkid, and Davido. His catalog has attracted close to one billion views on YouTube. Patoranking is a MTV Africa Music Awards winner and appeared in Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 list in 2020.
Fulu Miziki also join the Sefton Park line-up after their planned 2024 appearance was cancelled due to power cuts at Manchester Airport. The Kinshasa-based collective’s name translates as “music from garbage”, reflecting their long-running project of building instruments, costumes, and masks from discarded materials. Their performances combine an experimental, eco-conscious approach with a pan-African message focused on artistic freedom, peace, and environmental awareness.
Paul Duhaney, Artistic Director Africa Oyé shared: “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.
“And 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!“
Africa Oyé began in 1992 as a series of city-centre gigs in Liverpool linked to the monthly “Club Corinto” nights produced by the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign. The event has since grown through venues including Birkenhead Park, Princes Park, and Concert Square, settling in Sefton Park in 2002. It is widely billed as the Uk’s biggest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture.
After a fallow year in 2025 driven by rising infrastructure costs, legislative changes, and the challenge of keeping the event free, the 2026 festival adopts a low-cost ticketed model. Residents of the Liverpool City Region can access frozen early bird tickets at £11. Children under 12 enter free with a paying adult, and a discount is available for groups of four.
This year’s celebration – taking place on the 20th and 21st June 2026 – will be the first ticketed Oyé in Sefton Park in the festival’s history, as ever delivering 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 via TicketQuarter and africaoye.com.
(headline image: Ghanaian group Santrofi at the end of their set at Oyé 2022 in Sefton Park – Photo Santrofi)
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central