NEW YORK — Afropunk festival co-founder Matthew Morgan remembers when the musical event carried out as a small gathering on New York’s Lower East Side with 25 people.
Now, celebrating its 12th year this weekend in Brooklyn, New York, the festival has also expanded to an international celebration, even travelling to South Africa for the first time in December.
Afropunk returns to Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park on Saturday and Sunday with performances by Solange, Raphael Saadiq, Willow Smith, SZA and Anderson.Paak. About 60,000 are expected to attend.
Afropunk launched in 2005. It has been held in Atlanta, Paris, and London, and Morgan said he is working to expand to Brazil.
Performer Gary Clark Jr. said the festival is a place where he sees people “that look like me and that feels good.”