Malasimbo will return in 2026 with a heavy first strike. The annual festival series announced its opening headliners on December 2, naming Julian Marley and the Uprising alongside Seun Kuti and Egypt 80. Both artists carry legacies that rewired global music history where Marley represents the next generation of Jamaican reggae, while Seun fronts the band built by his father, Afrobeat architect Fela Kuti. Their pairing marks one of Malasimbo’s most ambitious early lineups and sets the tone for a festival built on deep-rooted traditions shaped by protest, rhythm and cultural power.
The festival will take place on May 23, 2026, at Puerto Real Gardens at Intramuros in Manila. This marks Malasimbo’s first major announcement since its 2025 edition back in May, headlined by local acts Morobeats, La Crema, and Motherbass. The return of Marley and Kuti signals a pivot back to programming that highlights genre lineage, something the festival championed in its early years.
For the two headliners, Marley has toured globally with the Uprising, carrying forward the familial sound that shaped reggae’s place on the world stage. Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 on the other hand will bring the firebrand spirit of Afrobeat’s political core.
Early bird tickets already on sale for Malasimbo 2026 are now on-sale via Malasimbo’s official website.
