7 Things I Wish I Knew Before Afro Nation
1. Get Your Accommodations a Year in Advance
Every summer, Afro Nation, takes over the beaches of Portimão, in the South of Portugal attracting over 40,000 Afrobeats lovers. Experiencing the likes of Burna Boy, Tems, Davido and Mary J Blige set against the backdrop of the sleepy beaches and fishing villages of the Algarves, is exactly the kind of cognitive dissonance I live for. But with Portimão’s population nearly doubling for the 3-day festival, it means accommodations are in high demand. If you’re planning to go, get your lodging as early as a year in advance. We started looking 7 months before the festival and everything that was within walking distance of Praia da Rocha was sold out or prohibitively expensive, I’m talking about $1,000 a night!
2. Stay no More Than 15-min From Portimão
Ideally you’d want to be within walking distance of Praia da Rocha. While Ubers and taxis are available, it gets so busy during the festival that it can take over 30 minutes to get a car and traffic can make the drive itself twice or triple as long. We couldn’t find anything walkable so we ended up staying in Alvor, a town with 6,000 inhabitants, normally a 14-min drive from Portimão. Depending on the day and time it took us about 30-45 minutes to get to the festival, but it ended up being the perfect location. Far enough from the crowds and chaos to allow for a relaxing Algarvian vacation by day, and close enough to get to and from the party by night. We found this cute place, Portobello with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a rooftop for about $400 a night. Note, the bottom bedroom had a fabric divider instead of a door, so in case you decide to book it you’ve been warned, but the unique interior decor and the rooftop with 360 views made up for it. It was also located steps away from the cutest restaurants like Lusitania, a little shopping area, and the Alvor dunes known for bird watching. Some friends stayed a bit farther out in Lagos, which the official Afro Nation channel recommends, but it took them over an hour to get back and forth from the festivities, and Ubers were unreliable and expensive, so I would recommend staying no further than Alvor.
3. Get VIP Tickets
If you get early bird tickets a year in advance, meaning now, there’s only a $70 difference between General Admission and VIP ($414 vs $483). And you definitely want the VIP tickets, because the restroom situation was a struggle. Now I’m not new to the music festival game, but my years of using a port-a-potty are over and that is your only option with General Admission tickets. That alone downgraded the experience for me. Luckily we were able to leave the festival, use the rest room at Tasca Hoje - shoutout to them for the hospitality and the yummy late night snacks - and get back in. Please note, the official Afro Nation FAQ page states “Ticket holders may be refused re-entry if they decide to leave during our opening hours”. So to avoid all that just get VIP tickets which come with access to the private beach, seated restaurant service and “luxury serviced restrooms”, I’m not sure what that means but I’m sure it’s better than port-a-potty. One thing to note is that the VIP area does not have a view of the stage, but the general area is where the vibes are anyway so you can just come out for the shows. There is also a Golden ticket option that gets you all the VIP perks plus closest access to the lit stage, which, for an additional $300, I’d skip, but at least you have options.
If the idea of partying on the sand for 3 days straight seems crazy, and you wish there was an option to buy just a one-day ticket… same. That option does not currently exist, but a friend was able to buy a single-day ticket for $180 once the festival had started. So I’ll just leave that here.
4. Wear Shoes with Ankle Support
I don’t know if this is my millennial knees or the city girl in me speaking but dancing on the sand for 3 days straight is not for the faint of heart! Praia da Rocha is not one of those beaches where the boardwalk almost goes up to the water, and fields of sand are interrupted by walkable paths, it’s just a lot of sand. You do not want to wear your cute or expensive slides, because they will get dirty and probably lost or damaged. Instead wear something comfortable and sturdy with ankle straps like the Teva midform sandals, which have gotten me through most of my global adventures, including this one. Bestie wore her combat boots, which I’m told is what all the cool kids in Europe are doing these days. That or sneakers may be the best option because it will also protect your feet from spills and getting stepped on. Also if you wear sand colored shoes the dust is less noticeable. You’re welcome!
5. Bring Only These 7 Things
Small bags, no larger than a piece of paper (A4 or letter size) are allowed, but the less you bring the less time you spend getting searched. The festival is also completely cashless using RFID wristbands that you pick up at the beginning of the event and have to keep on through the end. That being said here are the essentials you should bring
Government issued ID
Preferably your driver’s licence so you don’t risk losing your passport.
Remember Afro Nation is an 18+ event
Credit card
To load the wrist bands, although we were also able to use Apple Pay
Your Phone and a Powerbank
This festival is huge and it’s easy to get lost so you always want to have your phone fully charged
I had my trusty portable charger from Vrurc which I was able to fit in my pockets and go with no bag for one of the days
An empty collapsible plastic bottle
You cannot bring any outside food, drink or any glass containers, but there are water stations around the festival that allow you to refill
Having your own water bottle also helps to decant drinks you buy because they take off all the caps or serve you in open cups which makes moving around harder
I didn’t have one on me, but this collapsible bottle from REI looks like it would be perfect for this
Hand Sanitizer
I already told you the bathroom situation was abysmal so at least one person in your group should have hand sanitizer
Sun protection
Bring your sunglasses and apply sunscreen before going. The festival starts at 4PM so I’m not sure you need to bring sunscreen (but don’t tell your dermatologist I said that).
Light layers (optional)
The temperatures do fall from 30°C (86°F) by day to 20°C (68°F) at night so I found it helpful to have a light layer
Was obsessed with my Kaba Kaftan from Skadmas
6. Don’t Get Hung up on the Line up
The organization at this event was top notch, lines were moving fast, it was easy to retrieve and load our wristbands, drinks and food were good, expensive of course (think €23 for a burger and €5 for a bottle of water), but overall I was impressed. The performances were legendary with Davido taking the cake for me right on Day 1. Mary J Blige, Tems and Burna Boy on Day 2 and 3 were also good, but maybe it was the jet lag, I felt exhausted by the end of it! While most of the big headliners made it, Chris Brown and Joe Dwet Filet cancelled last-minute. So the biggest takeaway is don’t get hung up on the artists, just go with a good crew and enjoy the vibes.
7. Stay for More than Just the Festival
To truly check off the Algarves and Afro Nation on your bucket list you have to stay a few days on each end. The closest airport to Portimão is 45 minutes away in the Algarve capital of Faro. There are 4 direct flights from NYC every week, but of course they are at their most expensive in June or July. A direct flight to Faro wasn’t in the stars for us, so we flew into Lisbon instead, rented a car, and road-tripped 3.5 hours down the coast. Now I’m not a roadtrip girly, especially not after a long flight, but the drive down the coast was very scenic and peaceful. If I were to do it again I would fly into Lisbon a few days before the festival, explore Lisbon for a day or two, then drive down. We were worried about parking in Alvor but it turned out leaving the car by the Yacht Club by the town rotunda was fine. Don’t quote me on this though, all I’m saying is, our car did not get towed for 4 days 🙂. While we explored what Alvor had to offer by day and Afro Nation by night, I wish we had stayed a few more days to recover from the jet lag, the festival, and explore more of what the Algarve have to offer.
Will I be back at Afro Nation? Maybe for another milestone anniversary, but I hope this helps you plan an unforgettable trip. Follow along on Instagram for more unfiltered travel content and sign up for our newsletter below!