On August 26 and 27, Brooklyn will host the 13th annual Afropunk Festival as they welcome a new wave of dynamic musical performances and events. The festival is slated to take place at the Commodore Barry Park, where music lovers can converge to enjoy artists from all genres.
Headliners have not yet been announced, but this year's highlights so far include a Saint Heron curated stage featuring Sampha, Thundercat, Sinkane + TBA Special Guests, along with Kaytranada & Friends curated stage featuring Kaytranada, NAO, Sango, J Rocc & Karriem Riggins, Soul II Soul, Dizzee Rascal, Gary Clark Jr., Michael Kiwanuka, Macy Gray, SZA, Willow Smith, The Cool Kids, Kevin Abstract and more.
Since its founding, the AFROPUNK Festival's meaning has stemmed from a desire to connect people who shared a mindset, first in the neighborhoods of New York, then throughout the U.S. and finally around the globe, including the U.K., and France. While music performances have long been the main focus of the festival, in recent years it has also earned a reputation for natural hairstyles, fashion flare and celebrity sightings.
Along with paid tickets, the festival is bringing back its earned ticket program called AFROPUNK ARMY, which gives fans the opportunity to volunteer for admittance. AFROPUNK ARMY works closely with partners to provide volunteer activities and projects (a minimum of 8 hours of volunteer work will earn ONE General Admission weekend pass) for 25,000 fans to complete, in exchange for a ticket to the festival this year.
"The Afropunk Army is a force for good that we are energizing and empowering across our borough, with 'soldiers' helping us fight the socioeconomic challenges facing our communities," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams who, last October, announced a collaborative project between his office and the Afropunk Army. The collaboration includes an outreach campaign to public housing residents across Brooklyn.
This year's theme is WE THE PEOPLE, a phrase that begins both the constitutions of both America and South Africa, where Afropunk has announced it will travel later this year. Festival goers can choose from various types of tickets and passes to select events, for more information visit the Afropunk website.
