Erykah Badu set to headline Afropunk in Prospect Park next month

By Brooklyn Magazine Staff

Afropunk is returning next month with superstar headliner Erykah Badu and a new location.

The two-day festival, to be held at Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, will take place on August 24 and 25 in conjunction with BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Organizers said in a release that this year’s event is a “a celebration of the future of Black life, creativity, community, and expression reimagined.”

Badu, a neo-soul trailblazer, is touting her performance as something of a homecoming — her last performance at Afropunk was in 2018. Other performers will soon be announced later on the festival’s Instagram page. Performers from last year’s event included Vince Staples, Flying Lotus and Joey Bada$$.

“BRIC is thrilled to partner with Afropunk to close out our 46th season celebrating all things ‘Raised by Brooklyn,'” Saidah Blount, the organizer’s executive director tells Brooklyn Magazine. “We’ll be highlighting groundbreaking Black artists who not only represent the future of music and culture, but also carry the torch lit by generations of Brooklyn’s creative pioneers.”

The Park Slope venue marks a big change from last year, when it was held at Skyline Drive-In in Greenpoint. Prior to that Afropunk had been at Commodore Barry Park in Fort Greene. This year, all tickets will be general admission as a way of “democratizing access for all attendees,” according to BRIC.

“This move ensures that everyone can experience the festival’s unique blend of music, art, and culture without barriers,” they added.

Afropunk first launched in 2005 at Brooklyn Academy of Music and was an extension of James Spooner’s seminal 2003 film “Afro-Punk,” a documentary about the then-little-examined and appreciated Black punk subculture.

The festival has grown and evolved over the years, becoming a global brand with events in Brazil, Miami and Minneapolis. But it’s home will always be in the county of Kings.