by Jamila Kyari | May 2024
Last year, the air at the inaugural AfroVibes Festival was so full of excitement it seemed everyone was enveloped in it.
Picture one big outdoor event packed with diverse people, soulful music, delicious food, interactive games, clean fun, and sprinkled with ample doses of pure joy. For an event organized in less than two months, it had a powerful impact on the community.
Fast forward to today, and the AfroVibes Festival is back and promises to be even bigger and better! This year’s festival will feature immersive experiences and artistic expressions and has expanded to take place at select locations across Kitchener and Waterloo over three days from June 6–8, 2024. While event registration is encouraged, all days of the festival’s programming are free to attend.
AfroVibes Festival is a family-friendly celebration that has something for everyone. The aim of the festival is to celebrate, elevate, and amplify African culture. Expect it to be an extraordinary showcase of diversity, creativity, and community. Building on the success of last year, the festival is gearing up to be a memorable three days of music, food and drink, games, workshops, panel sessions, art, fashion, and much more. Judging by the social media engagement, anticipation is already brewing. This year’s edition is expected to attract double the 4,000+ people who attended last year.
“People always assume there’s no life or arts and culture scene outside of Toronto. Well, I think everyone can consider this event as an opportunity to explore Waterloo Region’s local talent, artists, and businesses through the AfroVibes Festival. We are all about celebrating Black excellence and African culture in prominent spaces within our community,” says Peter Pearse-Elosia, Founder of DigiMillennials and Organizer of the AfroVibes Festival.
Wondering what to expect at this year’s festival? Here are the AfroVibe 2024 signature events:
June 6th: AfroKaraoke In the Square — Get ready to sing your heart out to Afrobeats, Dancehall, Hip-Hop, and R&B tunes. A lyrical and melodious prelude to the Afrovibes Festival, “AfroKaraoke in the Square” at Waterloo Public Square will be an unforgettable Karaoke experience for all who share a love for music. It is organized in collaboration with Create Waterloo.
June 7th: Panel Sessions—The panel sessions feature a series of talks and discussions to spotlight Black excellence and community leaders and tastemakers while fostering networking opportunities for innovative cultural exchange. You will hear from industry experts, thought leaders, and community activists as they discuss perspectives on identity, empowerment, and more. This is organized in collaboration with Den 1880.
June 8th: Main Festival—The main festival will encourage cultural exchange and dialogue amongst attendees in a culminating grand finale—an outdoor celebration of African culture packed with features like live music, dance performances, art installations, a vendor marketplace, workshops, delicious food, and the debut of “Digimillennials Sound System.” To top off the festival, there will be an after-party at THEMUSEUM for those wanting more.
“The first two events are a build-up to the main festival and were planned based on popular demand,” says Pearse-Elosia. “The driving force behind the AfroVibes Festival has always been about creating an inclusive space for people of African descent that conjures a sense of belonging so they can feel at home away from home. We’re doing this and also inviting non-Africans to immerse themselves in everything the culture offers. Come soak up the entire cumulative experience!”
AfroVibes Festival is organized by Digimillennials, a keen group of millennials who share the same distinct vision about an ideal world and are documenting it in extraordinary ways. They are based in Canada and operate across Africa and North America. For more information, follow the AfroVibes Festival @afrovibesthefestival and DigiMillennials @digimillennials on Instagram.
*****
Jamila Kyari is a local communications strategist and blogger who is passionate about inspiring others to live colourful, vibrant, and bold lives. When she is not creating content for her social media channels, she can be found writing blog posts for her eponymous African fashion, beauty, and lifestyle blog! Connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.