Afro Nation festival returns to Ghana this December

A year after it made its debut in Ghana, the 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The urban beach festival, traditionally held across Europe, aims to unite the African diaspora through music and culture, and brings together the best African artist in Afrobeats, hip hop, R&B, dancehall, amapiano, Afro house and more.

The announcement of Afro Nation Ghana 2022 arrives on the heels of a Portugal event earlier this month that drew over 35 000 fans from 134 different countries.

Leading African artists such as Stonebwoy, Wizkid, Davido, Shatta Wale and Burna Boy have all headlined Afro Nation in the past.

“We started Afro Nation to give a global platform to the artists that we love,” the organisers said, adding that the event will allow patrons to rediscover their historic connection.

“Afro Nation’s aim has always been to elevate the scene and artists from or inspired by the modern sounds of Africa, and by establishing this stage in Ghana and bringing the exact same high production value from Portugal to West Africa, it is just one step towards a bright new future of live events in the region,” a statement reads.

“As with Afro Nation Portugal and Afro Nation Puerto Rico, Afro Nation Ghana will work alongside and train local teams to produce the show, and bring business to as many local vendors as possible, bringing a positive impact to Ghana’s cultural and tourism economy.”

In March, Afro Nation partnered with Billboard to launch the Billboard US Afrobeats Songs chart. In 2020, the brand also initiated the weekly Official Afrobeats Chart on BBC Radio 1Xtra, a move fuelled by the genre’s growing global acceptance in recent years.