From Afrobeats to hip-hop, Afro Plus Fest is making the DMV a home for Black culture

After drawing 20,000 people and generating an estimated $10 million in economic impact last year, Afro+ Fest expects as many as 120,000 attendees in 2026.

The DMV is getting ready for a major celebration of Black culture, music and community as Afro Plus Fest returns this Labor Day weekend with a much bigger footprint — and a distinctly Prince George’s County homecoming.

The three-day festival runs Sept. 4-6 at the Northwest Stadium Complex in Landover, Maryland, expanding from the sold-out, one-day inaugural event that drew an estimated 20,000 people to Washington, D.C., last year.

This time around, organizers are projecting as many as 120,000 attendees.

As The Washington Informer reports, the festival’s lineup reflects the breadth of Black music across the diaspora, with headliners including Wizkid, Davido, Tems, Ayra Starr and Alkaline. Lil Baby, Latto, Sexyy Red, Chief Keef, Olamide, Tiwa Savage, Adekunle Gold, Sarkodie and others are also scheduled to perform.

But Afro Plus Fest is about more than the music.

The festival will transform 35 acres of open-air stadium space into what organizers describe as a cultural campus, featuring a carnival, interactive basketball court, 125 food vendors, art installations and a marketplace highlighting Black-owned businesses and DMV creators.

“We packed this weekend so full that the goal is for you not to be able to finish the festival in one day,” Michael Awosanya, Afro Plus Fest founder and executive producer, told The Informer. “You could come all three days and still miss something. We built it for the fans first.”

That growth also carries significant economic implications for the region. Organizers estimate last year’s festival generated roughly $10 million in local economic impact. This year, they project that figure could reach $60 million.

For Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, the festival represents an opportunity to celebrate the state’s connection to the broader Black diaspora while spotlighting local talent.

“Afro Plus Fest is a homecoming for African communities across our state and across the country to come together and celebrate the bonds that connect us,” Moore said.

And for Awosanya, who grew up in Prince George’s County, bringing the festival home is personal.

“This one’s for the people who raised us,” he said.

With Afrobeats, hip-hop, dancehall, R&B, amapiano, soca and other global sounds sharing the same stage, Afro Plus Fest is positioning the DMV as more than a destination for Black culture.

For one weekend, it becomes a gathering place for the culture itself.