Liverpool’s largest celebration of African and Caribbean culture will return after a fallow year, introducing ticketed entry to maintain quality, safety and affordability for all audiences.
00:00Africa Oye have announced big changes for their 2026 festival as organisers prepare for a new era for the much loved event.
00:09The UK's biggest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture returns next summer following a follow year in 2025 due to rising costs, legislation and increasingly difficult challenges of keeping the event free.
00:22I've been to Africa Oye a few times and really enjoyed it. You need the weather for it because it's thinner.
00:30A big opener here in Sefton Park.
00:32The Duel in Liverpool's festival crown will return as a ticketed event in 2026 with organisers committed to making it as affordable as possible for its audience.
00:41Next year's celebration taking place on the 20th and 21st of June will be the first ticketed Oye in Sefton Park in the festival's history as ever delivering an eclectic mix of international live acts, emerging talent, community performances, family friendly workshops, TJs, world cuisine, arts and crafts and more.
00:57I think as long as it's kept at a reasonable price and considering what the line-up will be, yeah it's good. You compare it to something like say a Glasto or a Reading or something, no it's nowhere near the scale of it.
01:13But I think, yeah, you know, if they can at least cover their costs.
01:17It's a difficult one. Like, I understand, like, it's going to cost to put it on. So the money's got to come from somewhere and the arts are undefended massively in a lot of ways.
01:28But then a lot of the money is being put into other things that, especially things like Africa Oye is not going to see a lot of that. So it's a difficult one.
01:36The festival began back in 1992 as a series of gigs in Liverpool's city centre put together by Africa Oye's founder, Kenny Murray.
01:44Its growth over the last 33 years has seen it take in multiple venues, including Birkenhead Park, Princes Park and Concert Square.
01:51It's taken place in the picturesque surroundings of Sefton Park since 2002.
01:55And there's backing from Arts Council England too. Jen Cleary, director for the North West, says she's delighted Oye will return in 2026, describing it as a key event for both the region and the wider music world.
02:08But as long as they keep the tickets at a reasonable price, I think that's probably sensible.
02:13We've been on the streets of Liverpool to ask some of your local musical highlights from over the years.
02:20I love the old Matthews Street Festival over the August bank holiday. Sorry when that went.
02:27It's an older event, but there used to be one rant every week called Free Rock and Roll Thursdays.
02:33And it was rant in originally Mellow Mellow, which is a venue that doesn't exist anymore.
02:37My wife is a big Eurovision fan. And yeah, she thought that that was a really real highlight for Liverpool.
02:45That, yeah, you know, the usual Beatles stuff.
02:49So while next year's Oye might look a little different, organisers hope its spirit celebrating culture, community and creativity remains very much the same.
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