SA: Rema joins Hey Neighbour Festival line-up

Leading the pack of newly announced artists is Nigeria’s Rema who is currently one of Africa’s biggest Afrobeats exports, and Kenyan Afropop group Sauti Sol. They join South Africans Mafikizolo, Zakes Bantwini, Black Motion, DJ Zinhle and Sho Madjozi, and UK rock band Nothing But Thieves, among others. Previously announced artists include H.E.R., Kendrick Lamar, Khalid, Duckwrth, The Chainsmokers and Swedish House Mafia (see the full line-up below).

The 23-year-old Rema is perhaps best known for his track ‘Calm Down’ featuring Selena Gomez. The song earned him the Best Afrobeats Award at the MTV Video Music Awards and surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify about a year after its release, with the most plays coming from the US, India, Mexico, Brazil and the UK. The song is also the most viewed Afrobeats song on YouTube at nearly 700 million views. Before his Hey Neighbour performance, Rema is set to play the 20 000-capacity O2 Arena in London, UK, on 14 November.

The Hey Neighbour organisers say the event “will be more than a festival but a start of a new cultural phenomenon.” The festival will aim to create a community of diverse music fans and feature multiple bars, food stalls and social activities, they added.

Tickets are available on the official website.

Hey Neighbour Festival 2023 line-up:

• Rema
• Sauti Sol
• H.E.R.
• Kendrick Lamar
• Khalid
• Duckwrth
• The Chainsmokers
• Swedish House Mafia 
• Major League DJz
• Sauti Sol
• Jack Parow
• Mafikizolo
• Zakes Bantwini
• Black Motion
• DJ Zinhle
• Sho Madjozi
• Prime Circle
• Mörda
• Kelvin Momo
• Elaine
• Jamie-Lee Sexton
• Desmond and the Tutus
• Blxckie
• Youngsta CPT
• A-Reece
• Real Dan Duminy
• Uncle Partytime
• TXC
• Daliwonga
• Young Stunna
• Tyler ICU
• Majozi
• Jeremy Loops
• Monark
• Max Hurrell
• The Plastics
• James Vickery
• JZyNO
• Uncle Waffles 
• DBN Gogo
• Scorpion Kings
• Die Heuwels Fantasties
• Musa Keys
• Focalistic
• Mi Casa
• Shekhinah
• Francois van Coke
• Anatii
• Nasty C 
• GoodLuck
• Tyla
• Shimza