In response to the pandemic, Nyege Nyege festival have announced they are “going all-in this year” by presenting a a hybrid event to showcase music and art both in the form of their usual in-person Ugandan party and via a new digital platform developed by African Digital Art (ADA). They also emphasise this year their desire to create a pan-African co-curated event, in which the festival, originally founded in 2015 by record labels Hakuna Kulala and Nyege Nyege Tapes, will collaborate with labels, collectives and curators across the continent.

Running from 3–6 September online, and at its physical venue TBC, the line-up promises to feature a dizzying range of musical styles: singeli, mchiriku and sebene music from Tanzania, dennery segment from Santa Lucia, gqom and house from South Africa, balani from Mali, coupe decale from Ivory Coast, kuduro and Afrohouse from Angola, gengetone and metal from Kenya, elone from Gabon, hiphop from Kigali to Ouagadougou and Abidjan, and maloya from Réunion Island. There will also be special showcases curated by Sahel Sounds in Niger and Mauritania, Nadah El Shazly in Egypt, LaSunday in Ivory Coast, Sun-El World and Pussy Party in South Africa, Jakaranda Festival in Zimbabwe, and Jowaa Asokpor Corner in Ghana.

The digital events and African performance art program will be orchestrated by Violaine Le Fur and will include Cameroonian performance and dance collectives Modaperf, Zora Snake Compagnie and others. Also on the bill is Principé from Lisbon, Moonshine from Quebec, Jookoo from Barcelona, AS A SS and Al Hara from Palestine and a special footwork showcase with EQ Why presenting the GHB/HAVOC Picnic from Chicago. Meanwhile local artists include Afrigo Band, Jose Chameleon, Cindy, Kampire, Slikback, MC Yallah, Fulu Miziki, Nilotika and many more TBC.

Ticket information and online event details will be available from 15 July via their website, while full details of in-person events will be released in August.