Africa Oyé reveals headliners for 2024 festival weekend

The Grammy Award-winning son of Bob Marley and all-female supergroup Les Amazones d’Afrique will headline this year’s Africa Oyé.

This year’s festival weekend takes place in Sefton Park on June 22-23.

The UK’s biggest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture attracts tens of thousands of revellers to the South Liverpool park to enjoy two days of music from some of the world’s greatest performers, along with rising stars from the Northwest.

Les Amazones d’Afrique were originally due to appear at the festival in 2020, until the event was cancelled due to the pandemic.

The group was formed in Bamako, Mali, in 2014 by three renowned Malian music stars and social change activists, Mamani Keïta, Oumou Sangaré - who headlined Africa Oyé in 2022, and Mariam Doumbia, and the collective has since expanded to involve many female artists from across Africa and the diaspora, including Angélique Kidjo, Nneka and rising Malian star Rokia Koné.They will close the first day of the festival on Saturday, June 22.

Meanwhile Julian Marley, son of the late Reggae legend Bob and Barbados-born Lucy Pounder, is set to head the line-up on Sunday, June 23 with his band The Uprising who performed at the 2008 Olympics alongside Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt.

Marley recently won best reggae album at the 66th Grammy Awards with his records Colors of Royal, a collaboration with Antaeus.

More names are set to be announced over the next few weeks.

Above: Les Amazones d'Afrique, Top: Julian Marley. Photo by F Blanquin.

Africa Oyé artistic director Paul Duhaney said: "We’ve always prided ourselves on booking headliners that wouldn't be out of place on the best ticketed festivals in the country and this year is no different.

“Les Amazones d'Afrique are the definition of a supergroup - so much talent coming together to create something really special, and it's great to see their new album getting mainstream attention on the likes of 6Music.

“And with Julian Marley, you've got a reggae superstar that has truly emerged from his father's shadow - you don't win Grammys without being an incredible talent in your own right, and it will be a Sunday night for the history books when he closes the festival this year.”

Africa Oyé takes place in Sefton Park on June 22-23 from 12.30-9pm daily and is free.