WeLovEya Festival
Afrobeat and urban music · Cotonou, Benin
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The festival
Cotonou becomes the capital of the African: WeLovEya is Benin's largest urban music and Afro-urban festival, the "African-urban festival of reference". Born in 2022 on the Amazon Square — the great esplanade of the Boulevard de la Marina, at the foot of the statue of the Amazon — it was founded by Lionel Talon, president of the Eya Foundation, and it is organized by the Eya Cultural and Sports Centre. "Eya", in a fongbe, means "It's there! We're going!": a name-demonstrate for an appointment that is meant to be a movement as much as a party. In 2025, his fourth edition brought together Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy — the Big Three of the Atropop — alongside Tiwa Savage, Diamond Platnumz and Gims, in front of tens of thousands of festivalgoers. Its unique signature: each ticket purchased directly contributes to the construction of the EYA Centers, the community centres for training, creation and sport that prepare Beninese youth.
Back to the 2025 edition
The 4th edition, on 27 and 28 December 2025, confirmed the status of WeLovEya: from 5 p.m., the Amazon Square chained the concerts until the end of the night. The official poster of the second evening brought together Davido in the closing, Aura Starr, Diamond Platnumz, Kaaris, Naza, Keblack, Didi B, Gradur, Joé Dwèt Filé, Sindika and L'Oiseau Rare, with DJ sets between the concerts. The highlight of the edition: the return to the home of Ayra Starr, born in Cotonou — "the child of the country" — was greeted by an official poster "Welcome back Queen Ayra Starr".
WeLovEya 2025 also lived beyond the square: in March 2026, CANAL+ POP broadcasted the highlights of the festival, and the media TRACE held a professional panel on digital transformation for creators. Proof that in Cotonou, the festival became a meeting point for the entire music industry — to be read in our articles, below.
The festival in images
Official photos and visuals of the festival, published on its official website and official Facebook page.
The official album, edition by edition
All the official photos and visuals published by the festival on its official Facebook page, hosted here, edition by edition — click on an image to see it in full format.
2025 edition — 197 official photos and visuals
The 4th edition, December 27 and 28, 2025.
Official photos and visuals — © WeLovEya Festival (official Facebook page of the festival).
Edition 2024 — 132 official photos and visuals
The 3rd edition, December 27 and 28, 2024.
Official photos and visuals — © WeLovEya Festival (official Facebook page of the festival).
Edition 2023 — the 2nd edition — 92 official photos and visuals
29 and 30 December 2023.
Official photos and visuals — © WeLovEya Festival (official Facebook page of the festival).
First edition (2022) — archives — 10 official photos and visuals
The souvenir photos published by the festival.
Official photos and visuals — © WeLovEya Festival (official Facebook page of the festival).
Video
The official film of the festival
Official video — weloveyafestival.com
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WeLovEya's highlights — CANAL+ POP
Canal+ Benin — to see on Facebook
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Back to Day 1 — the official summary
WeLovEya Festival — to see on Facebook
In our articles
WeLovEya 2025: TRACE panel brought together music pros in Cotonou
WeLovEya: Cotonou, capital of the African Union on 26 and 27 December 2026
Good to know
5th edition confirmed by the official website of the festival (weloveyafestival.com): Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 December 2026, Place de l'Amazon, Cotonou. Ticket (official site): Standard pass 10 000 FCFA · Premium 50 000 FCFA · VIP 150 000 FCFA ; access by RFID bracelet, and each ticket contributes to the financing of EYA Centers. 2026 programming not yet published as of 23 October 2026. Official partner since the first edition: Moov Africa Benin (renewed partnership with the Eya Foundation on 10 September 2025). The Beninese press reported that tens of thousands of festivalgoers were present at each edition, and 72,000 festivalgoers were present at the third edition in 2024. In March 2026, the highlights of the 2025 edition were broadcasted on CANAL+ POP.
Liens officiels
The Focus flash — Festival TV
Flash Focus Bénin — WeLovEya
Flash Info Festival TV · voice of Moïse 1er · 30 s