It is news that has shocked us all: Afrochella will not return to Ghana. Organizers announced this at the end of 2022’s two-day festival, BBC first reported.
“This is the last Afrochella,” co-founder Abdul Abdullah told fest-goers at the El-Wak stadium in Accra.
RELATED: Inside Afrochella, Ghana’s Answer To Coachella
Abdullah has not given any additional information, but people are already reacting to the news.
“I couldn’t believe it when they said Afrochella is over,” one woman told BBC.
“There was something special about Afrochella that meant so much to African Americans like me […] I think it’s gonna be hard to fill the void that they’ll leave,” another person told the publication.
So, What Could Have Led To This?
It remains unclear why organizers have decided to end what has been a huge international festival for Black travelers.
What we do know is in 2022, organizers of Coachella sued Afrochella for alleged copyright infringement.
In the lawsuit, The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival organizers, Goldenvoice, filed a lawsuit against Ghana’s Afrochella for alleged trademark infringement. The lawsuit claims that the similarity in the names will create confusion, as we previously reported.
A Big Hole That Will Be Tough To Replace
Afrochella is a festival that has grown bigger and better over the last few years.
Launched in 2017, Afrochella has become widely known as a celebration of Black music, art, food, and culture across the Diaspora.
While other events will take place, including Afronation, Afrochella has recently become a staple when visiting Ghana during the Christmas and New Year seasons.
When the event started in 2017, more than 4,000 people attended the inaugural celebration designed to highlight talent in Africa through music and cuisine. By Ghana’s Year of Return Campaign in 2019, the event more than tripled the original numbers.
If it’s done for good, this event is a massive loss for those who have been able to enjoy the festival. But will it return in another country or under another name? Stay tuned to find out!
Afrochella has been a festival unlike anything else, as Black people created it for Black people!