Ghanaian musicians are set to take the country’s iconic Highlife genre to an international audience as part of a global campaign to promote the music’s cultural significance and secure its future.
The campaign, dubbed “Highlife to the World, Black Star Experience 2027,” will officially begin with a major concert in Barcelona, Spain, on August 2, 2026.
The event, scheduled for Barcelona’s SeaSeaClub, will feature performances by some of Ghana’s leading musicians, including Stonebwoy, Amandzeba Nat Brew, Obrafour, Bessa Simons and Jupitar.
European-based Ghanaian DJs, including DJ Logs, DJ Demo, DJ Enoch and DJ King Solo, will also entertain patrons, with Spain-based Nigerian DJ Enny billed to make a special guest appearance.
President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Bessa Simons, said the campaign presented an important opportunity to showcase Highlife’s influence and cultural value to the world.
“Highlife in its various shades has inspired many other genres and it is worth highlighting its significance to the world,” he said.
The initiative follows the inscription of Highlife on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December 2025, a development that formally recognised the genre’s cultural importance and influence.
The Barcelona concert will serve as the first major activity ahead of the official rollout of the global campaign in March 2027, as part of activities marking Ghana’s 70th Independence Anniversary celebrations.
The campaign is expected to create platforms for international audiences to experience Highlife music and dance while promoting its preservation and transmission to future generations.
The event is being organised by the Ghana Embassy in Madrid, MUSIGA, Showbiz Africa and the BlackStar Experience.
Ghana’s delegation will be hosted by the country’s Ambassador to Spain, Her Excellency Kalsoume Sinare Baffour.
Other members of the delegation include the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, MaameEfua Houadjeto; BlackStar Experience Coordinator Rex Omar; Executive Secretary of the Creative Arts Agency Gideon Nee Aryeequaye; Chief Executive Officer of Showbiz Africa and Made in Ghana Consulting Ltd, Verus Nartey; and Chief Executive Officer of Benayacon Entertainment, Eric Acquah.
The concert is being organised in partnership with Benayacon Entertainment, the National Folklore Board, the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Creative Arts Agency, with support from the Spanish Embassy in Ghana and the UNESCO Office in Ghana.
The organisers say the broader campaign will use Highlife as a vehicle for cultural diplomacy, international engagement and the promotion of Ghana’s creative economy.
