Afro Nation is targeting further international expansion with ambitions to stage up to eight events a year around the globe, co-founder Obi Asika tells Music Week.
Part of The Malachite Group (TMG) portfolio, the brand has held festivals in the US, Ghana, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic since debuting in Porgugal in 2019.
The world's biggest Afrobeats festival, the 2026 edition of Afro Nation Portugal took place in the Algarve from July 3-5, headlined by former Music Week cover star Burna Boy, Wizkid, Asake, Tyla (above) who also starred on our cover, Gunna and Kehlani.
“We sell to over 160 countries on that show, because it’s all pretty much holidaymakers: people flying in from all over the world, the diaspora, people across Africa," said former Asika. "It probably started off as a 99% Black festival and 84% Black female [but] the guys have caught up a little bit... It’s taken on an incredible life of its own. We’re very proud of it.”
TMG also operates Piano People, a series of festivals and club nights championing Amapiano. In June, Asika launched TMG Talent Agency, which represents music artists and creative professionals across Africa and the global diaspora. He has also outlined plans to scale each part of TMG’s entertainment portfolio.
“I’d like to see six or eight annual Afro Nation shows globally, and Piano People doing 50 to 75 shows a year," said Asika. "I’d like to see the agency with maybe 20 to 40 acts in music, and I’d like to see us doing sport.
"Success isn’t simply about how many artists we represent or how many shows we book. It’s about whether more international tours are coming into Africa, whether more African artists are successfully building their careers around the world, and whether more investment flows back into the continent. If, in five or 10 years’ time, the industry looks more connected, more competitive and more sustainable than it does today, that will be the real measure of success.”
We’re going to roll out a lot of licensing deals, mostly focusing on the continent
Obi Asika, Afro Nation
The expansion strategy will rely heavily on partnerships across Africa, with organisers looking to license the brand in new markets.
“We’re going to roll out a lot of licensing deals, mostly focusing on the continent," said Asika. "It’s normally a mix of government agencies connecting with a commercial business locally that sponsors the event. Over the years, the planners will draw further and further into the background and let them run with it. Also, at this year’s event, we launched the South Gidi Experience, a new live show fronted by DJ Tunez.”
Nonetheless, the Echo Location Talent Agency founder and former UTA UK co-head conceded that not every aspect of the brand's growth has been seamless.
“Sometimes it hasn’t worked, but you’ve learned what you could do differently, or what you never want to do again," he said. "We did Ghana [in 2019], and that was tough, but it was a fantastic show and an amazing experience. We were just a bit ahead of our time; it takes time to connect and make money.
"When we say we wouldn’t do some things again, it’s not even the locations – it can be the structures. One thing I learned when we did Punta Cana is that the whole place is set up for all-inclusive holidays. So, unless you’re doing an all-inclusive package for the whole festival, it can’t work. People are already paying for their food and drink at their hotels, so when they come to your site and you’re asking them to pay again, it infuriates them. That seems like a small thing, but it’s huge in terms of what it means for that model.”
Sometimes when the industry doesn’t see something, you have to do it yourself
Obi Asika, Afro Nation
Afro Nation 2027 is scheduled for June 9-11. Early bird tickets, priced from £249.60, are already sold out, alongside several other ticketing and VIP categories However, Asika said the festival was not immune to cost-of-living pressures and ticket pricing impact.
“There’s a bit more anxiety in the world, and you definitely have to be careful with your ticket pricing," he said. "But we have a high ticket [price] because it’s impossible to build on the beach [without it]. We have military-grade track throughout and special tractors that can only build on sand. We’ve got a full sewage system with massive pipes underneath the sand. It is a premium experience and the costs are eye-watering.
"We’re very cautious about our GA tickets because we don’t want it to become a show just for rich people; we’ve got to do what we can to make sure that young people can afford it.”
Recalling the scepticism he faced around its launch, Asika reflected with pride on how far Afro Nation has come in just seven years.
“Sometimes when the industry doesn’t see something, you have to do it yourself,” he said. “I remember getting calls from people saying, ‘I’ve heard that this is going to be really crazy, it’s going to be dangerous.' I started to get scared of what I was going to be walking into, but then I got to the show and it was incredible.
"We’ve had some years where there hasn’t been a single arrest. I don’t know a place where you can put 40,000 people in one place and there’s not a problem. That made something switch in me. I was like, ‘This is unbelievable. This has to be the core of everything we do.’”
Subscribers can read the full Music Week Interview with Asika here.
PHOTO: Afro Nation/TMG
