Services Africa Oyé is the UK’s largest celebration of African music and culture and takes place annually in Liverpool. Beginning in 1992 as a series of small gigs in the city centre, the event has gone from strength-to-strength, moving to its present Sefton Park home in 2002 to cope with demand. Africa Oyé has continued to grow and in 2010 attracted an audience of over 50,000 people. Even more are expected to attend the 20th annual Africa Oyé Festival in 2011.
With too many negative representations of Africa entrenched in images of war, disease, poverty and famine, Oyé seeks to redress the balance and highlight the fantastic range of cultures, foods, music and artists that make this great continent one of the most vibrant and inspiring in the world. The festival is also a truly international event that harnesses the spirit of multiculturalism and tolerance. It has played host to artists from nations right across Africa and also programmes music from South America and The Caribbean with Salsa, Soca, and Reggae always popular additions to the festivities.
But Africa Oyé is about more than music. Over 60 stalls selling the best food, drink arts and crafts and fashion from Africa and beyond will again be present at the Oyé village. Long time supporter ‘News From Nowhere’, one of the UK’s premier stockists of African music, will have merchandise from all the performing artists and much more on sale. It’s a great opportunity to not only take in some of the best roots music around, but take some home with you too.
Africa Oyé has gone from strength to strength over the last twenty years. The event held over 50,000 visitors and generated over £1.3m in extra income for the city in 2010 – an unprecedented success for the festival. As a result, Africa Oyé has had to take steps to ensure the future success of the festival and consider the interests of all visitors to the event. For the first time in the festival’s 20 year history, Africa Oyé 2011 will be enclosed to assist with the security and policing of the event. There will also be an increased number of toilets, a bigger and better Oyé village, and a larger main stage. In addition, despite cuts to the budgets of Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council, both organisations have confirmed that they will be contributing funding towards Africa Oyé again this year.
Africa Oyé remains a registered charity and any profits raised from admission to the festival will be re-invested into the festival for 2012. Thank you all for your continuing support and help in making Africa Oyé what it has become.
Admission: £5 day ticket (under 12s free entry)
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