Kendrick Lamar partners with Global Citizen to launch, headline ‘Move Afrika’ touring festival

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Kendrick Lamar and his creative imprint, pgLang, have teamed up with Global Citizen to create “Move Afrika: A Global Citizen Experience.” Lamar will headline the new touring festival this December.

“Move Afrika: A Global Citizen Experience” is a groundbreaking initiative that aims to establish a unique, long-term international music touring circuit across the diverse continent of Africa. The inaugural flagship event, “Move Afrika: Rwanda,” is set to begin on Dec. 6, 2023, at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

Lamar is not only headlining the Dec. 6 concert, but he and pgLang will also curate “Move Afrika” to 2028. Many regional artists are expected to be announced to join the 17-time Grammy Award-winner and Pulitzer Prize recipient on the bill of the “Move Afrika: Rwanda” show.

At the heart of this event lies a citizen-driven advocacy campaign urging global leaders to take immediate, resolute action and make steadfast commitments to address critical challenges across the African continent. These key issues encompass amplified funding for healthcare, with a particular focus on the well-being of women and girls, combatting the climate crisis and its implications for food security, remedying the barriers to economic opportunities for upcoming generations, and promoting active civic engagement.

A statement from pgLang on the partnership reads, “Our goal with Move Afrika is to inspire local youth and artists to unlock their creativity. We hope to curate an immersive experience that empowers various communities and cultures across Africa and around the world for a lifetime.” 

“Move Afrika” aims to build on past Africa-centric Global Citizen campaigns. These events include the 2018 Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100, featuring Usher, Jay-Z, and Beyoncé; 2021’s Global Citizen Live: Lagos, with Davido, Femi Kuti, and Tiwa Savage; and 2022’s Global Citizen Festival: Accra, which included SZA, TEMS, and Stormzy.

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Hugh Evans, co-founder and CEO of Global Citizen, says he is “incredibly excited” to partner with Lamar and pgLang for “Move Afrika.” Evans hopes the initiative will not only raise awareness for hunger and healthcare but also inspire artists to perform in Africa on a more consistent basis.

“Africa is driving culture and creativity globally, but the continent has been left out of the global music touring circuit for too long,” Evans said in a statement. “By moving from one-off events to the sustained commitment of an annual tour, ‘Move Afrika’ will drive transformative investments across Africa through the pioneering of a world-class touring circuit. Move Afrika will pave the way for many more artists to tour the Continent while generating new economic opportunities within the entertainment industry for Africa’s booming youth generation.”

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