Africa Oye 2026
Africa Oye started back in 1992 and grew into Britain’s largest African diaspora music festival. The Festival was free and happened in Liverpool’s beautiful Sefton Park every June. By 2024 the Oye was getting very big with no control over how many people turned up. People were allowed to have tents and their own barbeques. The vibe was very chilled but the large attendance must have been a worry to some observers. It was decided that 2025 would be a fallow year as the organisers worked on a new sustainable model to take Oye into a healthy future. I’m sure many people would have had a say in how to progress. Anyway the decision was made to charge for Oye in 2026, meaning a fenced arena and all the bag searches and ticket checks involved in paying festivals. People from local post codes could purchase cheaper tickets :-
Ticket Breakdown & Key Info
Local Residents: £6 per day
General Admission: £11 per day
Children: Free (under 12s, must be booked and accompanied by an adult)
Group Tickets: Discounts are available for groups of 4 or more in a single transaction.
(I’m confused that my early bird tickets cost £37 per adult. OOPS, they weren’t early bird at all.) So still a good deal for most people, especially locals. So here is what was available during the weekend :-
The 2 day line up… There were also DJ sets taking place away from the main stage on both days and lots of activities for children. The Fun Fair used to be quite large and to the side of the main stage. This year the fair was much smaller and integrated into the whole site.
To sum up, Oye is still a vibrant , friendly festival. Food and drink were of a high standard and affordable, £6.50 for a pint at a festival is good. My favourite band was Kobo Town, a modern calypso band, perfect for a warm Sunday afternoon. The festival site is very near Lark Lane where you can find all sorts of food and drink and my favourite breakfast cafes. I didn’t enjoy the fence as I used to like wandering away from the festival in any direction I chose. Do have a look around the park if you visit the festival and perhaps visit the refurbished palm house… Next year I’ll make sure I buy an early bird ticket. You should do the same.
