Felabration 2026 at the Shrine: Femi, Seun and Made Kuti headline the week

Felabration 2026 runs from Monday, 12 October to Sunday, 18 October at the New Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, Lagos, with Femi Kuti and the Positive Force, Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 and Made Kuti named as the week’s headline acts, Voice of Nigeria reported on Saturday, 10 October.

Right in the middle of the week sits Thursday, 15 October, which would have been Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s 88th birthday.

This is also the first Felabration since the Recording Academy gave Fela a lifetime achievement award in Los Angeles at the start of the year. So the Shrine has a little more to celebrate than usual.

Who is performing at Felabration 2026?

Fela’s own family leads the Felabration 2026 line-up: his sons Femi Kuti (with the Positive Force) and Seun Kuti (with Egypt 80, Fela’s old band), and his grandson Made Kuti, according to the line-up the organisers posted on Felabration’s official Facebook page and Voice of Nigeria carried on 10 October.

The guest list mixes generations. Fuji and apala names Musiliu Haruna Ishola, Terry Apala and Atawewe share the bill with rapper Ice Prince, plus newer acts Slimcase, Kleva Jay, Ceeza Milli, T.Classic, Sunkey Snoop, Soundboi and Labule. The organisers say more performers will be added. They have not said which act plays which night.

The 2026 theme is “Who Are You”, Voice of Nigeria reported.

How did Felabration get here?

Felabration began in 1998, the year after Fela died, as an idea from his eldest daughter, Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti. Here is the timeline, from Fela’s death to this year’s festival week, based on GistMatrix’s check of the reports:

• 2 August 1997: Fela dies in Lagos at 58.
• 1998: Yeni Kuti starts Felabration at the Shrine.
• Late January 2026: Yeni, Femi, Kunle and Shalewa Kuti collect Fela’s lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in Los Angeles, Premium Times reported on 1 February. “It’s so important for Africa,” Femi told the room.
• 17 and 18 September 2026: open auditions for new bands, artists and DJs, according to The Rio Times.
• 1 to 10 October 2026: the warm-up events. An art competition at the Kalakuta Museum (1 October), a dance competition at the Shrine (3 October), school debates (7 October) and the Dress Fela fashion show (10 October), Yeni Kuti told the News Agency of Nigeria.
• 12 to 18 October 2026: the main festival week at the Shrine.

Yeni Kuti, who co-manages the Shrine, told NAN the crowd now comes from everywhere. “If you come to the Shrine, you see people from all over the world,” she said.

How much are Felabration 2026 tickets?

No official 2026 price list had been published as of 7:52am WAT on Monday, 12 October. When GistMatrix checked felabration.net at that time, the site still showed its 2025 competitions and no 2026 schedule or ticket page.

In past years, most Felabration evenings have been free, with a charge on a few big nights. The Rio Times put those headline nights at between ₦5,000 and ₦20,000 in earlier listings. Treat that as a guide, not this year’s price, and expect the Shrine to fill early on the Kuti nights.

What happens next

Felabration 2026 runs nightly at the New Afrika Shrine, Ikeja, from Monday, 12 October to Sunday, 18 October, with Fela’s 88th birthday on Thursday, 15 October. GistMatrix will add the night-by-night schedule and any confirmed prices once the organisers publish them.

FAQ

When is Felabration 2026?
From Monday, 12 October to Sunday, 18 October 2026, at the New Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, Lagos.

Who is headlining Felabration 2026?
Femi Kuti and the Positive Force, Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, and Made Kuti, with guests including Musiliu Haruna Ishola, Terry Apala, Atawewe and Ice Prince.

What is the theme of Felabration 2026?
“Who Are You”, according to Voice of Nigeria’s report of 10 October.

Are you going to the Shrine this week? Which night are you picking? Tell us in the comments.

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