In 2020, Billboard Magazine named Afro Nation as one of The Gatekeepers of the Nigerian music industry.[4]
History
On 1 August 2019, Afro Nation (also marketed as Afro Nation Puerto Rico, Afro Nation U.S, Afro Nation Ghana, and Afro Nation Mexico) was established as a four-day annual music festival in Portimão, Portugal. In 2020, the festival was set to begin operating as a three-day annual event. However, the second edition was postponed to 1 July 2022,[5] due to the outbreak of COVID-19.[6] Customers weren’t offered refunds. Instead, they were forced to keep their tickets, which were valid for the following edition of the festival, which would only take place two years later.[7] The festival faced backlash from customers after not issuing refunds.[8]
In December 2020, the Ghanaian edition of the festival was cancelled, allegedly due to health concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak.[10]
In 2022, the festival in Puerto Rico was shadowed with many cancellations, particularly of headliners such as Burna Boy, Tems, Koffee and Beenie Man, all canceled in the leadup to the festival.[11]
In 2022, the festival was cancelled in Ghana during the course of its second day, due to safety concerns. Customers were not pleased as the performances of several of the main acts were cancelled, and complaints about the failure to refund arose.[12]
On the 2023 Portuguese edition, the festival had continuous sound problems that seriously affected the performances.[13] Twelve people were arrested at the festival for drug trafficking, with the Portuguese authorities seizing 804 doses of marijuana, 335 doses of cocaine, 63 doses of amphetamines, 46 doses of hashish, and 1,845 euros from the illicit activity.[14]
On 9 June 2023, the organizers of the festival announced Afro Nation Nigeria, a new series of the festival to be held in Nigeria.[15] On 31 October 2023, the Nigerian edition of the festival was cancelled.[16]
Portugal's audience and headliners
Despite its export to other countries, Afro Nation main venue keeps on being at Portugal. Both audience and highly safe environment have maintained Portugal's summer festival as Afro Nation main venue in terms of investment associated with increasingly growth of audience and line up quality as festival records[17] shows.
Afro Nation Portugal (cancelled in 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Afro Nation Africa[18] (in Ghana. Took place in 2019; cancelled in 2020, cancelled mid-festival in 2022; never repeated).
Afro Nation U.S.
Afro Nation Puerto Rico (in 2022 it was shadowed with many cancellations, particularly of headliners such as Burna Boy, Tems, Koffee and Beenie Man, all canceled in the leadup to the festival).
