AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA BKLYN debuts in Brooklyn at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park from August 23 – 24, in partnership with BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, bringing dynamic programming to life as the brand gears up for a momentous 20-year anniversary in 2025. This summer, AFROPUNK presents a spectacle of incredible music and vibrant culture in its home borough of Brooklyn, giving fans a place to come as they are and join in the celebration of Black creativity while pushing the limits of the status quo and re-imagining the future.
Taking place in the historic Prospect Park, AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA BKLYN is going back to the basics, while offering a mix of brand new offerings including a wrestling showcase as a part of AFROPUNK’s “Black People Do” franchise and a pop-up alternative and queer-friendly FightClubNYC Ballroom Battle featuring House of Juicy Couture. For the first time ever, the popular AFROPUNK Battle of the Bands will come to life on site, where bands will compete to earn a full set performance on the 20th Anniversary AFROPUNK Brooklyn Stage.
Attendees can also expect to beat the heat and take breaks indulging in some of New York City’s finest eats from vendors like Toastieland, home of the gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, BunNan, offering Haitian-Caribbean eats, Dylana’s Sweet Treats, serving bread pudding and other delicious desserts, Tosh’s Patties, providing handcrafted, organic, authentic Jamaican cuisine and Long Island’s first Trini food truck, Double(s) or Nothin’ by Trini Bites. Those looking to shop can also take advantage of SOKO MRKT and support vendors across a variety of categories like fashion, jewelry, beauty and more.
This year, AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA BKLYN is sponsored by Toyota, who invites guests to experience their all new 2025 Toyota Camry inspired “IT’S A VIBE” lounge. In this curated space, guests will be able to rock out to their favorite music, enjoy gaming and social content captures, relax with cooling fans, and meet some of their favorite performing artists.
Returning to the AFROPUNK stage from a ground-breaking 2018 performance, Grammy award winning singer-songwriter Erykah Badu will perform both nights, providing two separate creative reimaginings of her show that fans won’t see anywhere else. This year’s celebration will also feature performances and sets from the alluring R&B singer Durand Bernarr, Latin-Grammy nominated Brazilian singer-songwriter Larissa Luz, Soulection co-founder and DJ Joe Kay, American singer-songwriter and record producer Cautious Clay and NYC icon, DJ Mona.
In true AFROPUNK style, the festival will also feature performances from emerging artists. New this year, AFROPUNK is teaming up with Big Ass Kids for the next edition of their “Another 48 Hours” emerging artist collab playlist series. A few artists who make it to the final playlist are selected to perform on stage giving them a platform to engage with the AFROPUNK audience. As a lead up to AFROPUNK’s 20 year anniversary celebration in 2025, this event is guaranteed to be a special weekend where innovation empowers, artistry fuels discovery and social change becomes a shared reality – offering something for everyone and a place to celebrate.
To purchase tickets to AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA BKLYN’s two-day event, please visit AFROPUNK.com and stay updated with all related news and events on social media at @AFROPUNK on X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
ABOUT AFROPUNK
AFROPUNK is an integrated media platform and global music event platform giving voice to the unwritten, unwelcome and unseen. AFROPUNK is redefining the modern multicultural experience through its mission to unleash freedom of expression and to honor the power of individuality while strengthening our community. AFROPUNK creates an anchor for its growing audience of multicultural youth through its annual AFROPUNK BROOKLYN event and other events in Miami, Minneapolis, Paris, London, Atlanta, Johannesburg and beyond, while continually enhancing engagement and promoting conversation through content, commerce, and community.
AFROPUNK is devoted to creating safe spaces for the expression of Black liberation and a Black Future where we love ourselves and each other without preconception. The AFROPUNK tenets serve as a North Star and remind people to check themselves, ego, and each other when we enter the shared spaces.
ABOUT ESSENCE VENTURES
A multi-faceted ecosystem that uplifts the Global Black experience through frictionless, borderless economic advancements at the intersection of community and culture, ESSENCE Ventures is a member of the Sundial Group of Companies and is the parent company for ESSENCE Communications, Inc., AFROPUNK, Beautycon and Essence Studios.
ABOUT BRIC
BRIC is a leading arts and media institution anchored in Downtown Brooklyn whose work spans contemporary visual and performing arts, media, and civic action. For over forty years, BRIC has shaped Brooklyn’s cultural and media landscape by presenting and incubating artists, creators, students, and media makers. As a creative catalyst for their community, BRIC ignites learning in people of all ages and centralizes diverse voices that take risks and drive culture forward. BRIC builds Brooklyn’s creative future.
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