Afro Nation Ghana 2020 cancelled

“We are sorry it’s taken this long to announce the place for Afro Nation Ghana this year,” the organisers said. “We have been deep in talks with the authorities and partners in Ghana and as you can imagine, due to the effects of COVID-19 around the globe, we, unfortunately, can’t go ahead with our Afro Nation Ghana festival in 2020.”

The organisers said further details regarding the festival’s return to Africa next year would be disclosed in due course.

“We already have some unique and exciting plans in place to return to the motherland next year, and we cannot wait to see you all there,” they said.

Meanwhile, in May, the Portugal leg of the festival, which was originally scheduled to be held from 1 to 3 July on the Algarve coast, was also rescheduled to 2021, “in light of the recent Portuguese government directive regarding large gatherings.”

Chris Brown, Skepta, Wizkid, French Montana, Rick Ross, Young T & Bugsey, Tion Wayne, Beenie Man and Koffee have all been confirmed for next year’s event.

The festival was expected to return this year after the organisers, Event Horizon Entertainment, secured a five-year deal with the Ghana Tourism Authority in January to hold the event annually until 2024.

Announcing the arrangement, lawyer and member of the governing New Patriotic Party Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko said the partnership would reflect positively on the country's economy.

“Investors, entrepreneurs, small and medium-size businesses have at least a five-year investment plan to focus on to exploit well the anticipated annual Christmas traffic. The trade boom will be sustained by your thinking government,” he said.

Afro Nation is arguably the world’s biggest Afrobeats festival. The brand is also credited with initiating the weekly Official Afrobeats Chart, which debuted in July on BBC Radio 1Xtra.