Wizkid Makes History with Star-Studded Starboy Fest 2019
The Nigerian superstar shut down a sold out O2 arena and it was wild.
WizKid performs on stage at The O2 Arena on October 19, 2019 in London, England.
Wizkid is having a great year and it keeps on getting better. This weekend, the Naija superstar sold out the O2 Arena in London for his Starboy Fest—all 20,000 seats—making him the only African to have ever sold out the coveted venue twice. From the looks of things, the show was phenomenal and featured almost all the top Nigerian and pioneering Afrowave talent.
It takes a certain kind of star power to bring in other stars, and Wizkid must have it by the bucket loads. Joining him for the event was a long list of current hit makers: Afro B, Skepta, Tiwa Savage, Runtown, Naira Marley, Olamide, Fireboy DML, Maleek Berry, Terri, Reekado Banks, Oxlade and many others.
Read: The 25 Essential Wizkid Songs
Amidst all those heavy hitters, one was able to remain a surprise. The crowd apparently went wild when Burna Boy entered the stage to the sultry piano of "Ye" and then stayed for "Anybody." As a review for the Guardian writes "for a few minutes, two of the continent's biggest stars dance together, the ecstatic crowd thrilled and stunned at the unexpected union."
Some are calling this an important night for Nigerian music history and Wizkid himself opened the night by saying "Tonight isn't about Wizkid or Starboy. Tonight is about African music."
Wizid was living that sentiment as his Twitter timeline in the hours following the show was dominated by him thanking artists who performed, artists he supports and his fans. Watch a fan made video of the concert below and check out some of the reactions to the star-studded, history-making show.
Wizkid - Starboy Fest - Live at London O2. 19 October 2019www.youtube.com
Tweets:
- This Is What Wizkid's Starboy Pop-Up in New York City Looked Like ... ›
- Wizkid Drops New Single 'Joro' - OkayAfrica ›
- Watch Drake Bring Out Wizkid at His London O2 Arena Show ... ›
- The Significance Of Wizkid's Failure To Perform At Coachella ... ›
- Sorry Guys, Wizkid Is Not the First African Artist to Sell Out London's ... ›
- Wizkid Set to Headline 2021 Friends of Amstel Festival - OkayAfrica ›
- Meet Fawaz, the Artist Behind Wizkid’s Album Artwork - OkayAfrica ›
- Listen to Wizkid's New Single 'Bad to Me' - OkayAfrica ›
- Watch Wizkid's Spanking New 'Bad To Me' Video - OkayAfrica ›
- Listen to Wizkid's Surprise New EP 'Soundman Vol. 1' - Okayplayer ›
- The 25 Essential Wizkid Songs - Okayplayer ›
- Interview: Wizkid on Pushing Nigerian Music Forward - Okayplayer ›
- Wizkid is the First African to Reach 8 Million Monthly Listeners on Spotify - OkayAfrica ›
- Watch the Video for Wizkid and Chidokeyz's New Song 'Fibadi' - OkayAfrica ›
- Listen to 2 New Songs from Wizkid: ‘Fever’ and ‘Master Groove’ - Okayplayer ›
- Wizkid Comes Even Closer to Global Stardom, With or Without Drake - Okayplayer ›
- Drake Just Teased This Photo Of Wizkid Ahead Of Tonight's 'VIEWS' Premiere - Okayplayer ›
- Drake Goes Afrobeats On 'One Dance' Featuring Wizkid - Okayplayer ›
The Best West African Songs of 2024
This year’s list features emerging talents and an uptick in artists reaching to the past to create new sounds.
With “Sade,” Adekunle Gold Challenged The Nigerian Music Industry
As “Sade” turns 10, we take a look at how Adekunle Gold provided an alternative template to being a Nigerian superstar by making music with soul and commercial merits.