Road to AfroFuture Detroit Festival 2025 Begins: Countdown to an Unmissable Celebration of African Culture
AfroFuture Detroit Festival 2025 kicks off a two-week program of curated events spotlighting African innovation, food, music, and diasporic art.
Kaytranada opens for The Weeknd at Ippodromo SNAI La Maura, on July 26, 2023, in Milan, Italy.
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AfroFuture, the dynamic celebration of African culture, music, and innovation, is making its long-awaited U.S. debut in Detroit this August. In partnership with Bedrock, the festival has announced a two-week series of immersive, community-driven events leading up to the main event on August 16 - 17, 2025, at the Douglass Site.
Titled The Road to Detroit, the pre-festival programming aims to energize the city while connecting the African diaspora. Running from August 11 through August 28, these events will spotlight Detroit’s rich Black cultural landscape, combining culinary experiences, nightlife, tech innovation, cinema, and live performance.
Kicking things off is the AfroFuture Countdown Bar Crawl taking place from August 11 - 15. Here, festival-goers can sip custom cocktails at some of Detroit’s most iconic venues, such as the Hush Harbor, The Vinyl Society, and Paramita Sound, all while unlocking exclusive rewards like VIP passes and limited-edition merch.
Taste of Detroit Restaurant WeekIvy KitchenKola LoungeSalt + KoInnovation takes center stage on August 13 with Diaspora Connect: Innovation For Global Black Futures, a pitch competition hosted by Black Tech Saturdays and Venture 313. Finalists will compete for up to $10,000 in equity-free funding in categories like digital culture, creative industries, and community development. The event will take place at TechThree in Midtown and is free to attend with an RSVP.
On August 14, poetry lovers can immerse themselves in poetry me, please – A Diasporic Spoken Word Experience at the historic Willis Show Bar. Featuring musicians and spoken word artists from across the diaspora, the night promises to be intimate and deeply moving.
Afrocentric Movie NightsLowkey CinemaSun Ra’sSpace Is the PlaceCrumbLizzie Borden’sBorn in FlamesOn August 15, the festival taps into Black music history with Samples n’ Friends X AfroFuture Experience, a communal celebration of samples, trivia, and karaoke spotlighting AfroFuture artists, Afrobeats, and Motown classics.
To round things off, a lineup of official pre- and after-parties will keep Detroit buzzing all weekend, with events like the Jerk x Jollof Pre-Party, Obi’s House, Toasted Life, and PVO.
Abdul Karim Abdullah
