Afro Nation (Portugal) : The first of its kind.

Living my best life: Villa life.

Seeing as I’ve just returned to the UK with some SERIOUS holiday blues (like the rest of the 21k+ people who attended, I’m sure), it’s only right that I talk about the FIRST ever Urban beach festival that took place in Portugal between the 1st-4th August and how it went down!

*SPOILER ALERT*

Afro Nation was one of the most (if not the most) enjoyable holidays I’ve gone on TO DATE and rest assured, I’ll be sharing with you highlights from an unforgettable experience. No lie, the minute I landed in London and realised I was back to reality I was depresssseddd and Twitter says I’m not alone! Honestly, I can understand why. Lord give me back the villa life, Portuguese sun, and Afro Nation vibes because this England is not my portion and I have truly enjoyed!

So what’s the hype? Was it really as lit as everyone says?

A quick social media search will show you highlights from Afro Nation and clips of the acts, parties, and SLAYYY that went down but let’s quickly recap to a month before where there were some SERIOUS doubts. In all honesty, I didn’t know what to expect. This was going to be my first “party holiday” - which isn’t usually up my street - and with such a fantastic lineup and a festival I could f*ck with, it was something I was willing to give it a go. Was it going to be chaotic, ratchet, chill or another Fyre festival? (The timing of that documentary really played with people’s heads). Since VestiVille in Belgium (dubbed Fyre Fest 2) seemed to have slipped the radar only a month before, this didn’t help with the doubts either. To top that, there were so many narratives flying around and many people had invested heavily into this trip already. Some acts had dropped out and people started to wonder if this event was actually happening. This, coupled with no previous footage or promo videos (of course, because this was the first), lack of faith in black events and the logistics and set times being released super late meant that either people re-sold their tickets or decided to stay at home (sorry for your loss).

Let me be real with you for a minute: I was never planning to drop out, though I did prepare myself for the worst to come. Since I was staying in a villa and Portugal is rich in beaches, history, and views, I was ready to explore around the city and stay in the villa if things really went tits up! At least if the festival went left we were able to enjoy the rest of our time out there but I’m so glad there was no need for that. When I say we were met with ORGANISATION (whewwwwww! A rarity for black events - I’m sorry!) and detailed planning. You could tell that SMADE (the man behind it all) had really thought of everything to make this festival perfect. The stage was LIT, the venue was LIT, location LIT, vibes LIT, and everyone was ON JOB… and I’m not even talking about the organisers alone! Big up to everyone for coming with good vibes, dripping in sauceee and not starting any chaos (the haters never win) because this is what made the festival so memorable!

Headlining across the four days included Burna Boy (fine boy), Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, Davido, J Hus, Buju Banton, D'Banj, Busy Signal, Femi Kuti with Not3s, Mostack, Hardy Caprio, Teni, Adekunle Gold, Jidenna, Maleek Berry, Stonebwoy, Vanessa Mdee, B Young, Michael Dappa and many more performing throughout from Nigeria, Ghana, East Africa, South Africa, the UK and US. DJs included Tim Westwood, DJ P Montana, Kenny Allstar, DJ SoGood (I told you the lineup was a madness) and too many more to mention, including up and coming talent (full line-up here).

“Are you here for that black festival?”

Afro Nation Day 1

I remember walking to the venue and genuinely feeling a good vibe. I can’t really explain it but anyone who attended will know what I’m on about! The minute you were there, it was as if there were no worries in the world, life was good and everyone was on the same energy. The relief of it being legit after all, and the production being dope AF just set the vibe and levels for the rest of the week. It was like we went to a land of happiness because I all saw were carefree Kings and Queens celebrating their culture in unity. For someone who had high expectations (and with a high probability of nonsense happening with so many people in one place), I have to say I don’t think it could have gone much better or smoother than it did. Let me just point out here that there were NO stabbings, violence, or major dramas reported at all… just straight up good vibes and smiles all around!

Afro Nation put on a welcome party the day before (I flew in later that evening so missed it) which attracted people in masses. The social media hype had begun and I just knew people were going to get some serious FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) from this event. Where else would you see so many black people unite from all over the world in such a setting? I’ll tell you where… Afro Nation Ghana December 2019 and Afro Nation 2020!

I’m here for a good time not a long time…

Afro Nation was honestly scenes. I couldn’t even confirm what acts I saw or where I was because I was drinking and waved. The stage could have been empty and we’d still be singing along. Even with the few glitches or delayed starts, I don’t think many of us cared since we were having that much of a good time.

The festival provided SO MUCH entertainment and it was only after day 2 that we deeped it. For the ticket we were getting over 40hrs of music over the 4 days, with extra parties on top. Afro Nation was worth every penny! In fact, after day two many of us were feeling our age… with the day starting at 4 pm and finishing into the early hours of the morning (starting even earlier if you went to the boat party) we said there was no wayyy we were going to last the rest of the week on top of drinking! As the days went on we started arriving later but we never missed the main acts. Although I wasn’t always sober enough to remember (sorry mother), D’Banj, Burna, Teni, Davido, Buju, J Hus and others did their tingg!

My only regret was not firming it every night for the whole time (I can’t come and kill myself!) but the enjoymentttt is what kept me going for real! I remember everyone getting hyped when J Hus entered the stage but honestly alcohol had taken me at this point. I managed to get a snap but ask me if I took in every song? (It’s ok though, somehow I’ve seen him one or two times since he came out). All I know was that by the end of the set I was hugging strangers and singing his songs at the top of my voice. All in all, most of the acts were phenomenal (no shade to some…).

I’m someone who likes to post on my IG story and tweet but I was enjoying life so much that I was hardly posting so you know I had a good time! Even my friends could tell from my absence online…

As I’ve said previously, this was my first “party holiday” and I seem to have picked the right one to start with. Friends who have gone to many festivals such as Ibiza, Merky Fest, etc have stated that Afro Nation is the best festival out there… and I believe them. Artists on stage even commented on how crazy it looked from the stage and commended us on the good energy (because the Portuguese police do. not. play and we all knew they were ready!), also stating that this was the best festival they had performed at with so many black people in one place.

Slips, but WE MOVE! P.S Why can’t men take photos? Westwood and the girls!

I wasn’t in VIP but from those of my friends who had passes they were not disappointed. Everything was as advertised with the pictures matching presentation. From the outside, it seemed as if the VIP was far away from the stage at an awkward angle but I heard that they had a perfect view and it was super chilled. Main acts and other important people were walking around and chilling in VIP too which just added to the atmosphere. I managed to get a group photo with Tim Westwood and saw a couple of the headliners walk by but I heard that VIP was where they all rolled through.

“AFRONATION WO WO WOOOO!”

The execution of the festival is something I really must discuss! Police, security, ambulances, etc were all on deck and ON JOB. I even saw lifeguards present at 2 am onwards just in case drunk people decided to go in the sea (actually, there was none of that - I stann, sensible people). Ambulances were waiting outside the venue just in case and there was security everywhere. This didn’t shift the vibe one bit though and even when there were queues for the after-party or other events, the security would vibes with those in the line and dance and sing. There was genuinely a sense of community and unity.

The enjoyment wasn’t just for those of us at the festival! The locals enjoyed too, flocking to the top to watch the festival with us from a viewpoint. Local taxis mentioned that they were enjoying the festival with one telling me that there are similarities in their music. Allegedly, there’s also a local talent who has similar music to Davido… so there you go! I know for sure we’ll see some Portuguese locals joining us in the crowd next year and I’m here for that. It seems that Afro Nation was not just a unity among the black diaspora but also with the locals. From previously failed festivals such as the notorious Portugal invasion that was locked off, it’s great that we can return with positivity and optimism in what I hope to be a successful relationship between Portugal and Afro Nation (and any future festivals to come).

I must say, a big hat’s off to SMADE and the team for pulling off something so beastly! It’s not easy to get black people to gather in one place on time, and yet somehow he managed to unite over 21K of African/Caribbean diaspora from around the world (alongside many other ethnicities who enjoy the culture) to celebrate 4 days of h’enjoyyment and good vibes. A festival focused on the black community came with its doubts and criticisms, however, I am so proud to say that not only did SMADE exceed expectations, but he proved that when united, the black community can be a force to be reckoned with!

I saw the unity with my own eyes and was delighted to see that festival-goers were also given opportunities to film for artists and get paid work with the help of the twitter community. I look forward to future Afro Nation events and it has been a privilege to have been a part of the first Afro Nation festival and to have made history!

I’m sure I speak on behalf of most when I say that Afro Nation not only met but exceeded any expectations we could have had. Yes, there were a few teething problems with sound and screening glitching (never long disruptions) but this is to be expected for a new event. In fact, it was so smooth in general that you’d have thought that the festival had been running for years! The vibes from Portugal has set it up for Ghana and future Afro Nations to come. For those of you who plan to go to the Ghana one, just know that you will enjoy 1000% - and what a way to end the year!

No complaints, just chilling.

Every other day I’m reminded of Portugal (my first time there as well) through videos, pictures, and conversations. The only thing that could top Afro Nation is Afro Nation again! Losing my voice for four days afterwards, drunk texts to distant family members abroad (oops!), feeling cute on a daily, living in bikini’s and beachwear, blasting music daily, screaming “hot girl summer” and “city boys”, bonding with strangers and eating by the pool…. yeah I really lived my best life. Please note that I’m never as confident as I was in Portugal (my insta definitely enjoyed my daily swimwear fashion show aka selfies) and I don’t drink a lot unless I feel safe and relaxed so you just know there was something different in the air! If you weren’t doing all or at least some of the above, did you really attend Afro Nation?

Bumped into some Uni Friends

My only regret is that I may have been a taddddd too lit on some nights to enjoy it all and take in everything but saying that, I still appreciated everything and remember what was happening. I met so many people from across the UK, US and Africa (and other countries) who were all lovely. The joke is, I knew so many people there too but somehow I bumped more into friends of friends than my own. A few Americans called this the next black Coachella and I could actually see that as a possibility (but please spare us the price). My motto for this trip was “WE MOVE” and I can tell you we absolutely did. There was very little that could have dampened my spirits during the festival and even I found myself unbothered when people were accidentally bumping into me. Any beef (if any) was squashed very quickly without intervention. We were all there for a common love of music and culture and we went to enjoy ourselves peacefully!

Things to note…

For those of you who wish to attend any future Afro Nation events, I have made a note of things to be wary of:

1: Accommodation and flight prices. I cannot stress this more… Once you have secured your ticket (do it quickly) make sure you book your accommodation and flights IMMEDIATELY. I was part of the last wave of people so paid a lot more than I could have. I even heard people spending over £1000 on flights and accommodation alone (I met someone at the airport who said they came only for the last day and had paid someone £300 for a ticket for the day so please… organisation is key). The earlier the better and the closer you can get to the venue, the easier commuting will be.

You can get some nice hotels and apartments by the beach but if you want to live that villa life (they have some beautifullll villas and I enjoyed every second in ours) then you’ll be staying a good 10/15 minutes drive from the venue. We hired a car (which I’d advise too) but you can also get taxis to and from the festival.

2: Taxis. Let me not starttttt! The taxi prices in Portugal were a madness. Basic economics will tell you that supply vs demand will push the prices up but when I tell you that prices were tripling, you will soon learn to love walking. I was lucky though, the boys at my villa always drove me but I heard that waiting for Ubers and Taxis took HOURS since so many people were waiting. The taxis in Portugal include the local firms, Uber and Bolt with the latter being the cheapest option. Since Bolt is relatively new, the prices were about 25% cheaper than Uber.

It’s worth noting here that the prices from the airport were also crazy! When we landed in Porto (the closest airport) the Uber was saying €69 but when we got out it had gone to €130. Taxis were booked, airport transfers were booked and honestly getting out was a mission in itself. Your best bet is to hire a car or book your transfers in advance. Even with transfers booked, some had to wait for a bit (but these are teething problems that could be fixed for next year). The average price from Porto should be between €65-80 so you can see how much higher it was. Try and avoid this by being organised from the start and it’s worth taking note of drivers who will privately drive you around (that’s what I did on the last day) and you can use them next time you return.

3: Afro Nation Tokens. I’ll explain the token situation as it caused some confusion. Each full token = €5. You can buy a minimum of 4 tokens at €20, 10 for €50, etc etc etc. To be able to return the token you must have the original receipt that was given to you and a MINIMUM of 4 tokens to return. This can be returned during the festival and a day or two after between certain hours. This can only be returned at the main token kiosk located in the food court.

The tokens can also be split in half to buy smaller things such as water (half a token) or other things. I started with 10 tokens but barely used them (it’s nice to be a woman sometimes) so I ended up returning 9.5 tokens hahaha! My advice is to keep your receipts and remember to return with enough time or spending it all in time.

I’ve heard that there are people who had €100- €1000 left the day after which is painful and not everyone was told about the need for receipt upon buying (I was told by the dude that sold it to me so he made me wait for a receipt but they don’t give out the receipts like that which is smart tbh).

If you want your money back at the end you need to remember receipts and give yourself enough time to return! I witnessed people making money on the last day because they weren’t in a rush to return back home so benefited from the spare tokens (but I’ll keep their method to myself).

Obviously there are other ways to go about food and drink. Most accommodation is self-catered (and the food at the festival is good but I wouldn’t say it’s worth the price and it’s mainly burgers and pizza etc) so if you’re smart, you will eat and turn up before you arrive, top up alcohol in the side shops near the venue, take your shots and return to the site. We hosted a pool party and BBQ with LOADS of food for my friend’s birthday so if you have space and a dope villa/apartment like us, hosting a pre-party/ feast is a shout!

Now it’s all over, I’ve genuinely got the worst holiday blues. From sand and sun to rain and concrete… what an anticlimax! Lol. I write this staring at London rain but smiling at the memories and laughing at the stories and videos that came after. Going through my phone I would pay serious amounts of money to relive Afro Nation again! Until then, we have the memories for now, but I’m looking forward to next year and I am counting down the days. I hear there’s talk of Afro Nation Miami 👀but I think that’s just hopeful talk for now!

If you want to be part of the story next year, you can pre-sign up here. Once again, a massive BIG UP to SMADE and the team! You guys smashed it!

#ForTheCulture

The Festival site: my mini-me (sis) slaying, but let’s pretend it’s me.

Feel free to comment below or hit me up on my socials. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the festival and I hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did! It’s been a privilege to have backed a vision that was executed so well and I look forward to more to come.

P.S I might make a mini vlog so stay tuneddd!

Liz x