Published on Wed Jul 3, 2024 by
David J Colbran
Last Updated on Thu Jul 23, 2026
Africa Oye is done and dusted - wow what a great weekend. Saturday's music and line up was a killer. So coming up a few highlights of the artists and some ground views. Anyways, my favourite festival and a highlight of my year for sure.
The eclectic mix of artists, each bringing their unique sounds and traditions, creates a dynamic and visually stunning atmosphere. Liverpool, with its rich musical heritage, provides the perfect backdrop for Oye. The challenge for me, lies in seizing the essence of each performance, while navigating the bustling festival environment, and heck yeah it was super busy. I missed lots of friends and loads of sounds and performances on the smaller stages, estimates reckon on 30K people on both days.
Highlight performance of the weekend for me was an afrobeats / techno duo from Senegal called Def Mama Def - they absolutely rocked. And due to problems at Manchester airport delaying another band, they agreed to perform again on Sunday, which was an absolute treat.
I love Oye and the way it connects audiences from all corners of the globe. I have enjoyed chatting and connecting with artists, bands and fans on social media during and after the festival. It really is a unique part of Liverpool's music culture and long may it continue !









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You can see loads more of my music photography over the years here https://arenapal.com/photographers/david-j-colbran-photographer on my agent's site.
If you have an event or an upcoming gig that you need documenting, hit me up
If I can't speak right away we can schedule something in / Teams / Zoom etc.
Or connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjcolbran/
Author: David J Colbran
There are worse places to photograph a corporate event than a brand-new stadium on the Liverpool waterfront. Read about a day capturing team building and networking at the Hill Dickinson.
Another busy year working for an organisation that advises on public affairs, government relations and stakeholder engagement across Australia, the UK and New Zealand.
I'm delighted to say I'm now fully booked for event photography at this year's Labour Party Conference. But ready to book future commissions.
Becky, Events Co-ordinator, Environment Media Group
