African music has been rubbing shoulders with global powerhouses for a while now. From continental-spanning hit records to cross-genre collaborations, the scene is buzzing. This growing international popularity also manifests in festival line-ups, where a wide range of people are brought together to celebrate music live, to connect community with art.
The Nigerian artists Burna Boy and Ayra Starr were earlier announced as performers at Glastonbury Festival this year. They join a star-studded line-up that excited observers and potential event-goers. Joining international stars like Shania Twain, Dua Lipa and Coldplay, the Afrobeats stars will look to electrify the audience with their versatile catalog. Also on the line-up are the likes of Little Simz, Michael Kiwanuka, Mdou Moctar.
For Burna Boy, it is his third time performing at the Glastonbury stage after his set in 2020, alongside the likes of Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar at the event’s 50th anniversary. It’s Ayra Starr’s first time at the festival, an indication of her ever-growing rise among international audiences, having thrilled at prestigious spaces such as Dreamville Fest, Coachella and Athens Festival in the past few years.
No newbie to international attention, Burna Boy has been touring his latest album I Told Them..., selling out different iconic locations across the globe. Festival-goers can expect the artists to bring their inimitable energy to the stage, with sunny rhythms and reflective numbers as they’ll surely be looking forward to leaving an impression. Both Burna and Ayra are performing at the Pyramid Stage, which is the highest tier of the festival’s many stages.
The Glastonbury Festival is one of the most-loved music events of its kind. It was founded in 1970 by Michael Evis and has retained an audience-first purist perspective, and through this attracting over 200,000 visitors in the past few years to the hilly community it is named after. With a rich history of featuring iconic African artists throughout its history, it has featured the Senegalese master Youssou N’Dour, multiple Grammy award-winner Angelique Kidjo, the Afrobeat act Seun Kuti and his Egypt 80 band, Nigerian soul singer Tems and Zambian rapper Sampa The Great.
There’s no doubt Burna Boy and Ayra Starr are stepping onto a rich tradition and with the mastery of their craft demonstrated across the years, there is surely much to be expected.
This year’s event will run from June 26 to 30, at the Worthy Farm Festival in Somerset, U.K.