Ugandan dance group Ghetto Kids rehearse a routine during a music video dance rehearsal with Eddy Kenzo (Edrisah Musuuza), in Kampala, Uganda, on Jan. 20, 2023. Photo by Badru Katumba/AFP.
African music showcase Madaraka Festival is hitting the touring circuit this year and coming to the Fillmore on June 13.
The event is also marking a 10-year anniversary. Last year, Kenyan superstars Sauti Sol headlined. This year, the lineup for the 13-city trek includes Nyashinski, one of the most celebrated artists in East Africa, Grammy-nominated Ugandan singer Eddy Kenzo, Cameroonian singer-songwriter and rapper Naomi Achu and Sauti Sol cofounder and producer Savara Delvin Mudigi, as well as Dynamq, Simon Javan Okelo and other surprise performers.
The tour kicks off May 25 in Dallas.
Madaraka Festival started in Washington State in 2014. Over the past decade, it has become one of the state’s largest African music festivals. In 2023, 25,000 people attended in person, and another 30 million watched live streams.
Event producer Simon Javan Okelo said in a news release the shows will feature a mix of Afro-pop, reggae, Afrobeat and Afrohouse music.
“Come dressed to impress with your bright colorful African attire and the flag of the country you represent,” he said.
Madaraka Festival is co-produced by Live Nation, Amazon, Microsoft, Alaska Airlines, KEXP and Kenya Airways. A portion of the proceeds from Madaraka Festival will go to One Vibe Africa, which supports community-led change in the U.S. and Africa.
Tickets for all days go on sale Friday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. local time through Ticketmaster.
DAY DATE CITY VENUE
Sat 5/25/2024 Dallas House of Blues
Sun 5/26/2024 Houston House of Blues
Thu 5/30/2024 Boston Big Night Live
Sat 6/1/2024 New York Irving Plaza
Sun 6/2/2024 Philadelphia The Fillmore Philadelphia
Mon 6/3/2024 Washington DC The Fillmore Silver Spring
Wed 6/5/2024 Atlanta Buckhead Theatre
Sat 6/8/2024 Minneapolis Uptown Theater
Tue 6/11/2024 Denver Summit
Thu 6/13/2024 San Francisco The Fillmore
Sat 6/15/2024 Phoenix The Van Buren
Sun 6/16/2024 Los Angeles The Belasco
Mon 6/17/2024 Seattle Neptune Theatre
Tues 6/18/2024 Seattle Neptune Theatre
