The Ultimate Guide to Festivals Celebrating African Music in 2025 (Updating)

Multiple music festivals across the globe are celebrating African music throughout the whole year, and Billboard is rounding up the biggest ones for you to hit up.

For some acts, these festivals present a heartwarming, homecoming opportunity. Chxrry22, the first female artist signed to The Weeknd‘s XO record label, performed in her Ethiopian motherland for the first time in January 2025 during the World Afrika Festival. And come August, Doja Cat will perform in her South African motherland for the first time when she headlines Hey Neighbour.

A handful of heavy hitters are headlining multiple festivals this year. Davido is in the top slot for both Afro Nation Portugal in July and AfroFuture Detroit in August, the latter of which Kaytranada is also headlining after doing the honors at Milk + Cookies Festival South Africa at the top of this year.

As African acts continue performing outside the borders of their native continent, they’ve also been gradually filling up American festival lineups. Tyla, Rema, Amaarae and Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 performed at Coachella earlier this month. Tems has transformed into a U.S. festival mainstay by taking over Dreamville, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Roots Picnic this spring. Come July, she’ll also make history as the first African female artist to headline Afro Nation when she takes over the Lit stage in Portugal. And Ayra Starr and Asake are two of the headliners for Hot 97’s Summer Jam in June.

Billboard has compiled a comprehensive guide to the most significant music festivals honoring African music and/or happening on the continent this year below, in chronological order. (Editor’s note: Festivals that have already passed will remain on the list as a reflection of the full calendar year’s offerings of events.)