2024 Afro Nation Detroit festival announces Lil Wayne as co-headliner
Afro Nation Detroit is adding two major stars, Lil Wayne and Shenseea, to its star-studded 2024 festival lineup, organizers announced on Tuesday.
Taking place Aug. 17-18 at Bedrock’s Douglass Site, Afro Nation will mark its second year in the Motor City with Lil Wayne joining Asake and Rema as a festival headliner, bringing his endlessly quotable, deep catalog of hip-hop hits to the stage.
Shenseea is the first dancehall artist to join the Detroit lineup this year, on the heels of performing at the inaugural Afro Nation Miami in 2023.
Other performers scheduled for the event include some of the most exciting artists from Africa, such as Kizz Daniel, Omah Lay, Adekunle Gold, and Ayra Starr, and rising stars like Amaarae and Ruger. Detroit rapper Kash Doll will represent the hometown spirit, and the ascendant South African genre Amapiano will be brought to life by Uncle Waffles, Scorpion Kings, DBN Gogo, Musa Keys, and more.
Even more artists will be announced over the coming months.
“Bringing Afro Nation back to Detroit, the home of Motown and Techno music was an easy decision,” said Smade, co-founder of Afro Nation. “Detroit embodies culture, creativity, and pride. The energy here is electric, echoing the heartbeat of Afro Nation’s spirit. In Detroit, we found a community that welcomed us with open arms, sharing our passion for unity and celebration, giving us a home away from home. Afro Nation Detroit 2024 will be even bigger than last year, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you.”
Headlined last year by Burna Boy and Davido, Afro Nation Detroit 2023 drew tens of thousands of attendees each day to Bedrock's Douglass Site, once a historically significant housing project in Detroit that was the first federally funded housing project for African Americans in the United States and the former home of legends like Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson. Before the festival, Afro Nation hosted a series of Homecoming Conversations for industry professionals and artists, covering topics including musical innovation, entrepreneurship, and more.
Detroit’s is the only scheduled Afro Nation event in the United States in 2024.
Tickets and mailing list updates can be found at detroit.afronation.com.
Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2024 Afro Nation Detroit festival announces Lil Wayne as co-headliner
