Rwanda has once again done it; raising its tourism flag high. This follows their series of intentional initiatives, including their most recent bold bid to bring popular car racing sport, Formula One to Rwanda next year.
It has this evening been announced that as a continuation of Move Afrika’s tour series, Grammy-winning singer, song writer and instrumentalist John Legend will headline the 2025 installment of the Global Citizen organized event as it looks to expanding across the continent next year in February 2025.
The series is set to officially kick off on February 21 with Move Afrika: Kigali at the BK Arena before heading to Lagos for a show at The Palms on February 25. The tour seeks to leverage live music as a platform to drive economic growth, create jobs, and foster entrepreneurship in Africa’s burgeoning creative industries.
🎙️ @johnlegend to headline Move Afrika: Kigali!🇷🇼
— Visit Rwanda (@visitrwanda_now) December 17, 2024
The EGOT-winning artist will take the stage at @bkarenarw on 21 February 2025, in partnership with @GlblCtznAfrica and creative imprint @pgLang.
🎟️ Learn more and plan your trip: https://t.co/BZhRu3YM4H#MoveAfrika #VisitRwanda pic.twitter.com/9GsJoDXXqT
Legend has expressed his excitement in the headlining role, noting: “I’m honored and excited to perform in Kigali and Lagos as part of the Move Afrika tour—an initiative that not only brings unforgettable shows but also creates entrepreneurship and job opportunities, empowering young people to engage with Africa’s growing music and creative industries.”
“Africa has always been a global cultural powerhouse, and it’s an honor to be part of the future of live music on the continent.”, he furthered.
The inaugural Move Afrika event was held in Kigali (Rwanda) last year in December 2023, and it was headlined by TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment)’s Kendrick Lamar, and became the most successful live music event ever staged in Rwanda.
Its success reinforced Kigali’s position as a cultural and tourism hub, with the city continuing to raise its profile through initiatives like this and its broader efforts to attract world-class events. They had in a similar fashion previously hosted the inagurual TRACE Awards & Festival which featured a star studded line up of performers; Davido, Rema, D’Banj, Yemi Alade, Black Sherif, Kizz Daniel, among others.
According to Global Citizen, Move Afrika serves as more than just a concert series. It is an annual initiative aimed at addressing global inequities by driving investment, creating jobs, and fostering entrepreneurial opportunities. The events engage local artists, vendors, and crews while offering skill development and training opportunities to strengthen local creative ecosystems. The 2025 edition will also champion sustainable development and economic growth, with a focus on improving health systems across the continent.
Tickets for Move Afrika: Kigali and Move Afrika: Lagos are now on sale, with additional details about the tour and how to earn free tickets through Global Citizen’s advocacy campaigns to be announced soon.
Commenting on why John Legend was selected to headline this year, Hugh Evans, the co-founder and CEO of Global Citizen revealed that: “John Legend, our longtime Global Citizen Ambassador and friend, is the perfect headliner as we expand Move Afrika to new destinations,” said Hugh Evans, co-founder and CEO of Global Citizen. “By growing this series, our goal is to inspire Africa’s young population to actively shape the continent’s live music and creative industries. This is about building lasting infrastructure that will place Africa firmly on the international touring map.”
