Afro Nation returned to Portimo, Portugal, this summer with the ceremony of a coronation - and rightly so. Now in its fifth year, the festival has evolved from a niche gathering into a flagship celebration of black music and global diaspora culture. On the shores of Praia da Rocha, what once felt like a spirited experiment now carries the polish of a pan-African institution - complete with both the sparkle and logistical snags that come with scale.
Produced by The Malachite Group and Memories of Time and backed by corporate heavyweights like Spotify and ELF Cosmetics, the event positions itself as not simply a party, but a cultural export that radiates African pride and global appeal.
This year's edition leaned into luxury. The crowd was older, more international, and more invested - financially and emotionally. Still, the energy never wavered. From London stylists to Lagos entrepreneurs, the audience was a parade of trendsetters, with Nigerians, Ghanaians, and South Africans out in full force. The UK and US diaspora made their presence felt, albeit outnumbered by the francophone contingent.
Afro Nation increasingly finds itself in growing company. Across Europe, festivals like DLT Malta and Parisian Fte de la Musique are showcasing Afrobeats as a global movement that transcends genre. Where Afro Nation offers high-gloss, cross-continental production, DLT favours a smaller footprint, while Fte de la Musique weaves Afrobeats into a broader multicultural mosaic.
Diverse and experimental lineupMusically, Afro Nation 2025 was an exemplar of continental convergence. The lineup reflected the current trajectory of African music - diverse, experimental, and willing to blur genre lines. The main stage served as a living playlist of Afrobeat, Amapiano, dancehall, and drill, with moments that soared and others that gently stumbled.