Africa Oyé

About Africa Oye Festival

Africa Oye Festival began in 1992 as a run of small gigs in Liverpool city centre. In 2027, its 35th year, the music festival runs on 19-20 June at Sefton Park, Liverpool, after moving there in 2002 to meet demand.

The scale has shifted with it. Africa Oyé has drawn up to 80,000 people over a weekend in the past, while its 2026 return brought in over 25,000. After years as a free event, it moved to ticketed entry in 2026, with earlybird tickets from £12, child earlybirds at £2.50 and under-5s free.

Lineup and Programme

The bill is built around African and Caribbean music and culture, taking in reggae and dub as well as bass-led music. Jazz, soul and Afrocentric sounds also run through the programme.

The Oyé Stage handles the main live performances. DJ programming runs at the Trenchtown DJ Stage and Freetown DJ Stage, with community performances also part of the wider bill.

Away from the stages, the programme includes family workshops and storytelling, with dance and drumming activities also part of the weekend. Food and drink stalls sit alongside arts and crafts traders, with funfair rides elsewhere on site.

Who Is It For?

The festival is aimed at a family, intergenerational and multicultural crowd, and the child-ticket setup backs that up. The Oyé Family Zone gives younger audiences a dedicated area, with Oyé Village stalls and funfair rides elsewhere on site.

Children’s earlybird tickets are £2.50. Under-5s go free, and under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. Alcohol sales use Challenge 25.

The Venue and Site

Sefton Park sits around 4 km south-east of Liverpool city centre. The festival site is the Review Field on Croxteth Drive, inside the L17 3BP park.

There is no camping.

Facilities include accessible toilets and a First Aid point. Access provision covers an accessible viewing platform, an Access Tent quiet space and BSL support on stage.

Travel

Sefton Park is in south Liverpool, around 4 km south-east of the city centre. The festival site sits on the Review Field by Croxteth Drive.

• Nearest station: St Michaels, on the Hunts Cross line, around 1 mile from the site or a 20-25 minute walk.
• Road access: Croxteth Drive and Aigburth Drive serve the park.
• Parking: Parking around the park is extremely limited and mainly for residents; driving directly to the festival is not advised.
• Nearby cities: Chester is 24 miles away, and Manchester is 33 miles away.