By OLADELE ENIOLA

Spotify has partnered with Afro Nation Portugal as the festival’s official sponsor and exclusive streaming partner for the 2026 edition.

The company said in a statement on Wednesday that the move is aimed at bringing the event to global audiences through its platform.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the collaboration will create a dedicated Afro Nation destination on Spotify, where fans can discover featured artistes, access the festival’s official playlist and watch selected performance videos after the event.

The three-day festival is scheduled to hold from July 3 to July 5 in Portimão, Portugal.

According to Spotify, the partnership is an extension of Afro Nation’s long-standing commitment to promoting Afrobeats and African music globally, while reinforcing the streaming platform’s investment in African creativity.

The dedicated festival hub will enable fans to engage with Afro Nation before, during and after the live event, whether attending in person or streaming from anywhere in the world.

Rifumo Mdaka, Spotify’s Content Marketing Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, described Afro Nation as a global celebration of African music and culture.

“Afro Nation is more than a festival, it is a global expression of African music, fan culture and creative influence.

“Our partnership is about helping that moment travel further through our first collaboration with Afro Nation of this nature.

“By bringing the festival to Spotify, we are giving fans a place to connect with the artistes, performances and stories that define the festival, long after the final set,” Mdaka said.

Mdaka said the partnership formed part of Spotify’s continued efforts to support African music through artiste discovery, playlisting, live performance capture and fan driven storytelling.

Mdaka added that the streaming platform would also document the journey of one of its top fans travelling to Afro Nation Portugal, highlighting the growing global community around African music.

Clémence Blum, Director of Global Partnerships at The Malachite Group/Afro Nation, said the collaboration represented an important milestone for the festival.

“Afro Nation has always been more than a festival as it is a platform built to celebrate African music, support artist breakthroughs and connect a global community through culture.

“Our partnership with Spotify reflects the shared role we both play in discovery, helping artists reach new audiences and giving fans deeper ways to engage with the music they love,” Blum said.

NAN reports that Afro Nation Portugal has grown into one of the world’s leading festivals celebrating African music, attracting thousands of fans and some of the biggest names in Afrobeats and related genres from across the globe. (NAN)

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