This weekend sees, the UK's biggest FREE celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture take over Sefton Park as Africa Oyé returns for its 30th-anniversary festival.
Topping the bill on Saturday is Jamaican reggae legend, Eek-A-Mouse, but not before global afrobeat star Fuse ODG graces Sefton Park with a rare performance featuring a full live band. Then on Sunday evening, the Grammy Award-winning Malian songstress Oumou Sangaré is set to close this year's festival. She will be joined by the likes of soukous pioneer Kanda Bongo Man and highlife stars, Santrofi in what is an eclectic main stage line-up.
North West artists will also join the party with emerging stars Blue Saint, Ni Maxine, and the L100 Cypher making up the 'Oyé Introduces' programme, and Oyé fan favourites, Staged Kaos returning for another special community performance. On both days of the festival, in association with Liverpool's leading world dance charity Movema, the Oyé Active Zone (OAZ) will return to provide a range of dance, song and drumming from the African Diaspora for the whole family. People of all ages, abilities and backgrounds will have the chance to participate in the activities throughout the weekend, all led by top local and international companies.
As well as the high-energy dance workshops provided and curated by Movema, other activities on offer include Capoeira For All, Children's Yoga, and a special appearance from the Movema Sankofa bird, which will have everyone dancing with Liverpool drumming troupe, Katumba!
The Oyé Village features authentic African, Mediterranean, Asian, English and Caribbean cuisine, traditional French crepes, baguettes, paninis, fresh fruit smoothies, cookies, hot doughnuts and pastries, and fresh ground coffee, stalls selling everything from arts, crafts, hats, clothing, jewellery and accessories, as well as face painting.
Africa Oyé strives to make the festival more accessible for all its fans. Once again, the festival will feature an Accessible Viewing Platform, British Sign Language on stage to accompany the festival acts, and a dedicated Access Tent.
The on-stage high-definition video wall assists those with visual impairments, and there will be increased stewarding around the accessible toilets.
The Africa Oyé festival is the biggest free celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture in the UK, taking place every June in the picturesque surroundings of Sefton Park in Liverpool.
