Afrochella Festival Returns After Pandemic Hiatus; Wizkid Announced as Headliner

By Paige Boyd, Managing Editor

After postponing the festivities last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Culture Management Group (CMG) has announced the return of their annual Afrochella festival on December 28 in Accra, Ghana. According to the event website, Afrochella is described as "a celebration of Africa’s diverse culture and the vibrant work of African creatives & entrepreneurs."

This year's theme, according to Black Enterprise, is "Made in Africa," an homage to the continent while also furthering the "advancement and awareness of Africa's influence in music, art, fashion, and food." In a statement, Afrochella's co-founder and CEO Abdul Karim Abdullah says that this year's theme was especially fitting. "Through this narrative, we want to shine a light on the talent that can be found right here on the continent. Through this theme, we hope to continue to increase awareness of up-and-coming creatives and promote the advancement of Africa’s homegrown talent.”

Adding to the excitement, Afrochella recently announced that Afrobeats superstar Wizkid will serve as this year's headlining act. The Nigerian singer-songwriter has been riding the wave of success with his Made In Lagos album and its lead single, "Essence," which recently became the first Afrobeats song to hit the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100.

With his massive crossover success and collaborations with Justin Bieber, Drake, and Chris Brown under his belt, Wizkid seems to be the perfect choice to lead Afrochella's bounce back from the pandemic, according to Abdullah. "We're ecstatic to bring back our Afrochella Festival with African superstar artist Wizkid and give our customers a festival experience they won't forget," he stated. "The future for Afrochella looks bright, and we believe that we're setting the bar for live events across the world, and with this momentum, we will only get better, bigger, and bolder every year."