Afro Nation is a renowned annual three-day music festival that celebrates African music and brings together artists from various genres like Afrobeats, Hip-hop, RnB, Dancehall, Amapiano, Afro House, and more. The festival was founded in 2013 by Obi Asika and Smade Entertainment, in association with BBC 1 Xtra. Its main goal is to showcase the best African artists and provide a platform for them to perform on an international stage.
The festival’s history started with the first edition in 2019, known as Afro Nation Portugal, held in Portimão, Portugal. Initially, it was a four-day event but later transitioned to a three-day festival. Afro Nation has since expanded to other countries with events like Afro Nation U.S, Afro Nation Puerto Rico, Afro Nation Ghana, and Afro Nation Mexico.
The festival has seen significant growth in terms of audience size and headliners. The 2019 edition had approximately 20,000 attendees each day, while the 2022 edition saw around 35,000 attendees per day. By 2023, the audience grew even more, with approximately 40,000 people attending daily. Notable headliners throughout the festival’s history have included Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, J Hus, Chris Brown, Megan Thee Stallion, P-Square, 50 Cent, and Booba.
Over the years, Afro Nation has featured performances from various artists, including Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Femi Kuti, Adekunle Gold, Stefflon Don, Teni, Patoranking, Tiwa Savage, Meek Mill, Koffee, Kizz Daniel, and many others.
In addition to the festival, Afro Nation has collaborated with the Official Charts Company to create the Official UK Afrobeats Chart Show on BBC Radio 1 Xtra, and they also co-founded the U.S Afrobeats Songs Chart in partnership with Billboard.
Overall, Afro Nation has become a significant platform for promoting African music globally and has garnered a substantial following across different countries and continents.
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