Ghana’s popular African music festival is coming to the U.S. and bringing stars across genres
AfroFuture, the African music festival native to Ghana since 2017 (then as Afrochella) is coming to the U.S. for the first time. Rolling Stone can exclusively announce that Davido, Kaytranada, Tee Grizzley and more are among the first wave of AfroFuture headliners that will represent a global swath of Black music Aug. 16-17 in Detroit.
Nigerian Afrobeats leader Davido, who will be releasing his fifth album imminently, also had a vibrant set headlining AfroFuture in Ghana in 2023. Also repping Nigeria will be singers Flavour (known for “Nwa Baby” and other classics) and Lojay (the star vocalist on Sarz’s “Monalisa”). Gims will join the AfroFuture’s Afropop roster as a French-Congolese singer and rapper with over two decades in music between the hip hop group Sexion d’Assaut and his solo career.
Kaytranda will take the stage as a big nod to Detroit’s historic dance and electronic scene. Rapper Tee Grizzley, who is a Detroit native, is set to perform as well. Ludmilla is set to showcase her electric brand of Brazilian funk. Festival DJs will include DBN Gogo, Juls, TxC, and DJ K-DAWG & EZ Pass, while popular parties Jerk X Jollof, Days Like This, Obi’s House and Toasted Life will also carve out their own corners of the fest.
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“With an explosive lineup across two dynamic stages, we’re blending Afrobeats, Amapiano, hip-hop and techno with art, fashion, beauty, and food. From a Black designer marketplace to interactive cultural experiences, every moment celebrates heritage while embracing innovation,” AfroFuture CEO and co-founder Abdul Karim Abdullah said in a statement.
AfroFuture Detroit will be held at Bedrock’s Douglass Site, Bedrock being a midwest real estate firm that has operated more than 140 properties across Detroit and Cleveland, Ohio. The festival will be produced by Paxahau, the company that has also helmed Detroit’s popular EDM Movement Festival since 2006 and the Detroit Jazz Festival since 2011. Ticket presale begins on March 20. AfroFuture is partnering with Delta for discounted flights to the festival.
