Op-Ed: Coachella 2026 Scales Back on African Talent — Here’s Why It Matters

Compared to the last few years, African presence across the stages of next year’s edition of Coachella is looking very sparse. Nigerian superstar Davido will be performing at the renowned festival for the first time, and that’s technically it for African music representation. Of broader, diasporic note, British artists PinkPantheress and Little Simz – the former of Kenyan descent and the latter with Nigerian heritage – are also on the bill.

A sole African artist performing at the Empire Polo Club next year is a serious downgrade, especially after this year’s edition featured sets by South African pop star Tyla, afrobeat maverick Seun Kuti with the iconic Egypt ‘80 band, Ghanaian alt-pop auteur Amaarae, and Nigerian rave lord Rema. It recalls the pre-2019 years, where African artists were token additions, bordering on non-existent, to the Coachella lineup.

Through the first half of the 2010s, African presence at Coachella was limited to the controversial South African rave-rap duo Die Antwoord in 2010 and the 2012 debut of Kuti and his band. It wasn’t until 2016, when South African DJ/producer Black Coffee and Congolese punk-rockers Mbongwana Star performed sets, as well as a guest appearance by Ghanaian British hitmaker Fuse ODG during Major Lazer’s set, that multiple African acts were part of the prestigious festival.

In 2017, the only African act scheduled on the bill was King Sunny Adé, but the Nigerian juju music pioneer was unable to make it to the festival. Similarly, Afrobeats superstar Wizkid couldn’t make it to the 2018 edition, citing visa issues. However, Black Coffee made his return to Coachella that year, while French Guinean rapper MHD brought his afro-trap sound to the California desert.

Over its past five editions, Coachella has featured multiple African artists on its bill, from Nigerian artists Mr Eazi and Burna Boy in 2019 to Beninese Afro-house DJ/producer AMÉMÉ and Zambian rapper Sampa the Great performing in 2022, the same year South African twin duo Major League DJz and their colleague DBN Gogo brought amapiano to the festival.

The last three years have featured a diverse cast, including Congolese group Jupiter & Okwess delivering afrofunk in 2023, the same year Burna Boy returned to the festival, while Nigerian DJ Spinall became the first afrobeats DJ to play at Coachella, and Nigerien rock band Mdou Moctar got the chance to strut their stuff in 2024.

On the surface, the inclusion of Davido as the only African artist feels like a reflection of African music’s relationship with the U.S. market. Unlike previous years that saw mammoth, bona fide crossover hits like CKay’s “Love Nwantiti,” Rema’s “Calm Down” and Tyla’s “Water,” it’s been less raucous on that front. All three artists have performed at Coachella — CKay was a guest performer during American singer Pink Sweat$’s set in 2022. 

Right now, the closest thing to a crossover hit is arguably “Shake it to the Max,” the viral single by Ghanaian American singer Moliy. Perhaps she could’ve been included in next year’s Coachella lineup — and there’s a chance she could pop up as a guest — but her catalog is still relatively sparse.

Generally, though, it speaks to the sustainability of the reliance on crossover appeal for a festival like Coachella, which has a more international tilt than most American music festivals, to not shrink its marginal African representation. While niche African acts have graced the festival’s stages, the comparatively robust run of the last few years can be veritably traced to pop music from Africa being a cool, popping thing.

African music is and will always be more than Afrobeats, but when Davido — an Afrobeats superstar — is the sole African artist, it shows how easily representation for African music can be shunted at Coachella (and other festivals). In a way, it also ties into the recent criticisms of Coachella as a parade of consumerism: what started as a countercultural oasis has gone full-on pop.

According to Billboard, about 60% of general admission festival goers at this year’s Coachella used payment plans to fund their tickets. Ticket prices have ticked up over the years, with general admission passes going for $599. Attendance has also dipped in recent years, meaning the organizers are no doubt scheming to ensure their lineup is packed with artists that can pull in audiences, which, in the African context, would only favor artists who have been able to establish a proper U.S. presence.

Also, from a political standpoint, there’s the general hassle of trying to get into the U.S. these days, under the strict immigration policies and incessant travel bans of the Trump administration. A Nigerian music executive I spoke to informally explained that it might be difficult for festival organizers in the U.S. to book African artists, citing high visa application costs they might have to take on for the artists and their cohorts, and the uncertainty of the entire process. They also added that organizers often tend to go through artists’ management and/or booking agents, reducing chances for artists without American representation.

These travel issues also affect prospective festival goers, like Africans on the continent and in the diaspora who have the means but are more than likely to be denied tourism visas. These are widescreen concerns, after all, this year’s Coachella featured lesser Latino artists — a trend set to continue next year — amidst visa concerns from international audiences, even from those as close to the U.S. as Mexico.

It takes more than one occasion for a trend to emerge, so a sole artist from Africa could be an anomaly and not the norm going forward for Coachella. All we can do now is hope and wish Davido — as well as Little Simz and PinkPantheress — the best for April 2026.