Ten years ago, an African artist selling out a London arena was big news. Now African stars headline American stadiums, play the Champions League final and perform at the World Cup final. The run of record-breaking African concerts since 2015 tells the story of how fast the music has grown.
Here are ten shows that set records or broke new ground, in the order they happened.
1. Cassper Nyovest fills the Dome (Johannesburg, 2015)
In late 2015 Cassper Nyovest announced he would headline the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, a venue that holds around 20,000 people. “I want to fill the dome… to its full capacity,” he said. On 31 October 2015 he did, and released his album Refiloe the same night.
It became a series. He took “Fill Up” to Orlando Stadium in 2016, FNB Stadium in 2017, Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban in 2018 and Royal Bafokeng Stadium in his home province, North West, in 2019. An African artist building his own stadium tour at home was a new model.
2. Wizkid sells out the O2 Arena (London, 2018)
In 2018 Wizkid sold out London’s O2 Arena, the 20,000-capacity venue that had long been the measure of a superstar in Britain.
3. Tiwa Savage at Global Citizen: Mandela 100 (Johannesburg, 2018)
On 2 December 2018 Tiwa Savage performed at the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium, a centenary celebration of Nelson Mandela’s birth. That August she had headlined The O2’s Indigo venue in London, where general admission tickets sold out hours before the show.
4. Davido sells out the O2 (London, 2019)
In January 2019 Davido followed Wizkid by selling out the O2 Arena, becoming the next solo African artist to do it. Two Nigerian stars filling London’s biggest arena within months of each other showed the 2018 show had not been a one-off.
5. Wizkid headlines Rolling Loud (Toronto, 2022)
Rolling Loud is one of the biggest hip-hop festival brands in the world. In September 2022 Wizkid headlined its Toronto edition, the first African artist to do so, at a festival built around American rap.
6. Burna Boy’s first show in Jamaica (Kingston, 2022)
On 18 December 2022 Burna Boy played his first concert in Jamaica, at the National Stadium in Kingston. Dancehall has been part of his sound from the start.
7. Burna Boy at the Champions League final (Istanbul, 2023)
On 10 June 2023 Burna Boy became the first African artist to perform at the UEFA Champions League Final kick-off show, at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. More than 71,000 fans were in the stadium, with a global TV audience estimated at over 700 million.
8. Burna Boy sells out Citi Field (New York, 2023)
A month later, in July 2023, Burna Boy headlined Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, and became the first African artist to headline and sell out a stadium in the United States. For an artist who once performed at the O2 Academy Brixton, a London venue holding just under 5,000, in 2018, it was a remarkable five years.
9. Asake’s O2 and Barclays Center shows (2023)
Asake had only been a major star for about a year when he sold out London’s O2 Arena in August 2023. In September he became the first African artist to headline and sell out the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Spotify later released his concert film, M$NEY.
10. Burna Boy at the World Cup final (New Jersey, 2026)
The biggest stage of all came this summer. Burna Boy and Shakira’s “Dai Dai”, the official song of the 2026 World Cup, reached number one in more than 30 countries. On 11 June 2026 they performed it at the opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
On 19 July they performed it again at the first ever World Cup final half-time show, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, joined by Uganda’s Ghetto Kids dance troupe in a show curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Read more in African musicians at the 2026 World Cup.
What these record-breaking African concerts tell us
In 2018 an O2 Arena sell-out was the headline. By 2023 the bar was American stadiums and the Champions League. By 2026 it was a World Cup final. The demand was always there. What changed was promoters, labels and festivals realising that African stars can fill the biggest venues in the world. The next record is probably already booked.
