Afro Nation Portugal 2022: APO Group named official pan-African PR agency for Afrobeats festival

The deal follows Afro Nation’s agreement with Billboard back in March to launch the Billboard US Afrobeats Songs chart. Afro Nation is also responsible for initiating the weekly Official Afrobeats Chart on BBC Radio 1Xtra two years ago.

Slated for 1 to 3 July in Portimão, the Algarve, Afro Nation Portugal 2022 will feature multiple festival stages, bringing together top artists across Afrobeats, amapiano and Afro-house as well as hip hop, R&B and dancehall among others. Organisers say the programme, the last edition of which gathered an audience of 20 000, also celebrates music from the entire African diaspora, and is one of a number of events that are helping to bring African music to new fans all over the world.

Nigerian artists P-Square, Wizkid, and Burna Boy, American superstars Chris Brown and Megan Thee Stallion, and Jamaican dancehall star Beenie Man have all been programmed for this year’s edition.

“Events like Afro Nation provide a tremendous global showcase for the best talents in the fast-moving African music industry, and we are delighted to be involved,” APO founder and chairman Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard said. “But, more than that, a thriving music industry can also stimulate many other areas of African economies by driving increased employment, and providing opportunities for growth across multiple industries such as tourism, hospitality, and international investment.”

Afro Nation is produced by global events company Event Horizon in partnership with Live Nation, SMADE Entertainment and MOT, along with BBC Radio 1Xtra as a major media partner.

Festivals like Afro Nation are credited with helping to drive the global prominence of Afrobeats. The company projects streaming revenue in Africa to hit $500m by 2025.

For more information on Afro Nation, visit the festival’s official website.