Africa Oyé Confirms 35th Anniversary Return to Sefton Park

Africa Oyé will mark 35 years in 2027, returning to Sefton Park on 19 and 20 June. Earlybird tickets are on sale now, with Liverpool City Region entry from £12, children’s tickets from £2.50 and under-5s free.

The announcement lands with more certainty than last year. The festival shifted from its long-running free model to ticketed entry in 2026 — a decision artistic director Paul Duhaney admitted was not an easy one. The result was decisive: more than 25,000 people attended across the weekend, and Saturday sold out.

“We didn’t know what to expect this year making the transition from a free event to a ticketed one and it was truly emotional to see so many people come along for the ride with us on this new journey,” Duhaney said.

The 2026 bill set a high bar, with Patoranking, Fatoumata Diawara and Janet Kay among the names. For 2027, the programme will again pair international artists with emerging local talent, alongside community performances and the Oyé DJ Stage.

The festival’s wider infrastructure holds steady: the Family Zone returns with workshops and activities, while the Oyé Village will host more than 90 food, drink, arts, crafts and fashion stalls. What began as small gigs in Liverpool city centre in 1992 and moved to Sefton Park in 2002 has grown into an early-summer constant for the city. The first ticketed year held its audience. The anniversary edition carries that momentum.