African stars to play Glastonbury 2022

First held in September 1970, the festival is a celebration of contemporary performing arts. Apart from music, it hosts art forms like dance, comedy and theatre.

Africa’s contingent at the 2022 edition includes music legend Angélique Kidjo (Benin), Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti and his Egypt 80 band (Nigeria), Afro-fusion star Burna Boy (Nigeria), ‘Essence’ singer Tems (Nigeria) and rapper Sampa the Great (Zambia).

This year’s edition, which will be the first since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled for 22 to 26 June. Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar will headline the Pyramid Stage alongside Paul McCartney. Diana Ross has been confirmed for the Sunday legends’ slot.

Kidjo, who boasts five Grammy Awards, is the most notable African performer at Glastonbury 2022. She will grace the Pyramid stage alongside other members of Les Amazones d'Afrique, the contemporary world music supergroup formed in Mali in 2015. She will also play the West Holts stage on 26 June. The singer, who has collaborated with everyone from Burna Boy to Yo-Yo Ma, will be performing songs from her extensive catalogue, including her most recent album Mother Nature.

Also playing the West Holts stage is Seun Kuti and Egypt 80. Their Glastonbury set will find the Afrobeat ensemble in the middle of a tour of Europe and the US this summer. The band performed at the recently concluded MTN Bushfire festival in eSwatini.

“I’m excited to return to touring after too long away,” Kuti said. “My band Egypt 80 and I look forward to retaking the world stage, and hope as always that our music will help make the world a more generous, kinder and more liveable place, not only to fans but to its underrepresented people.”

Tems’ Glastonbury performance adds to a growing list of 2022 achievements, include scoring three nominations at this year’s BET Awards. Sampa the Great will go to Glastonbury after her performance at the Forum Melbourne in Australia early this month.

Meanwhile, Gambian-British rapper Pa Salieu, who was named the winner of BBC Music’s Sound of 2021 critics’ poll, is among the new additions to the line-up. He joins the likes of British-Nigerian rapper Little Simz and 2021 Hyundai Mercury Prize winner Arlo Parks, who is of Nigerian, Chadian and French descent.

The full Glastonbury Festival line-up is available here.