Africa Oye

Africa Oye 2016 breaks single day attendance record

7 years ago

By The Guide Liverpool

Likes

Africa Oye 2016 breaks single day attendance record

Crowds of over 40,000 people traveled to Sefton Park as Africa Oye broke its single-day attendance record on a spectacular Saturday in Liverpool.

The country’s biggest free celebration of African music and culture featured incredible performances from artists across Africa and the Disapora as well as local artists and community groups in a truly eclectic celebration.

And despite bouts of torrential rain on the Sunday of the festival, crowds stuck around to dance throughout the day and give the international acts a warm Liverpool welcome.

Away from the live music, the ‘Oyé Village’ was busier than ever. Festival-goers sampled cuisine from across the globe, took part in free workshops in the Active Zone, danced to the latest Afrobeats and experienced the global tunes from DJs in Trenchtown, soaking in the unique Oyé atmosphere.

Artistic Director, Paul Duhaney spoke of his delight during this year’s event. “All the team was saying we’d never seen the park so busy at Oyé on the Saturday. And perhaps in previous years the rain on Sunday would have meant only the hardcore fans would turn up, but this time we still had crowds dancing and setting up on the field for the day and staying right until the end. I think that’s arguably the biggest compliment we could be given and is a testament to how far we’ve come these last 24 years”.

Africa Oyé would like to thank Arts Council England for their amazing support and the continued assistance from Liverpool City Council as well as their sponsors and partners for 2016.