Africa Oyé announces first acts for 2026 festival

Africa Oyé has revealed its first two big name acts for this year’s music weekend in Sefton Park.

Multi-award-winning Nigerian singer-songwriter Patoranking and Congolese collective Fulu Miziki will both appear at the Oyé in June.

Patoranking, who is making his Africa Oyé debut, is described as a ‘visionary’ of the African music scene and cultural ambassador for Afrobeats, blending the genre with reggae and dancehall to create a unique sound.

He is an MTV Africa Music Awards winner and earned recognition in Forbes Africa's 30 Under 30 class of 2020.

Meanwhile Fulu Miziki, which translates as ‘music from garbage’, is billed as an eco-friendly-Afro-futuristic-punk ensemble from Kinshasa.

Its members make their own instruments from objects 'found in the trash', as well as performance costumes and masks, and are always in search of new sounds.

The collective was due to perform in 2024 but missed its slot because of a power cut at Manchester Airport.

Above: Fulu Miziki. Photo by Francois Fleury. Top: Patoranking. Photo by Kendall Bessent.

Africa Oyé is the UK’s biggest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture.

This summer’s festival is set to be held in Sefton Park on June 20-21 and will be the first in its 23 year history to be a ticketed event – with organisers pointing to rising costs making it unsustainable to host a completely free weekend of music.

Africa Oyé artistic director Paul Duhaney says: "Patoranking 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 is at Sefton Park on June 20-21. More details and tickets HERE