All Points East 2026 opened in spectacular fashion on Friday, August 21, as Jorja Smith and Tems co-headlined the festival’s opening day at Victoria Park, London, with Nigerian star Ayra Starr among the standout performers on the bill.

The sold-out event attracted approximately 45,000 music fans, turning Victoria Park into a celebration of contemporary R&B, Afrobeats, soul and UK sounds.

Tems delivers a powerful headline performance

Tems brought her signature atmospheric sound to the festival’s biggest stage, delivering a performance that highlighted the evolution of her career from Nigerian breakout star to one of Africa’s most globally recognized R&B artists.

Her set featured songs from across her catalogue, giving fans a chance to experience her distinctive vocals and minimalist, soulful sound in a major festival setting.

The performance further strengthened Tems’ reputation as one of the leading African artists on the international live circuit.

Jorja Smith celebrates a new era

For Jorja Smith, the performance carried additional significance as it came on the same day she released her third studio album, What Are the Odds.

The British singer used the London festival to introduce audiences to material from the new project while also performing fan favourites from her earlier catalogue.

Her set reflected the album’s more dance-oriented direction, incorporating influences from UK garage, drum and bass, amapiano and Afrobeats alongside her established R&B sound.

Ayra Starr shines on the All Points East stage

Nigerian Afropop star Ayra Starr was another major highlight of the day, delivering a high-energy performance that showcased her growing international presence.

Her appearance came shortly after the release of her third studio album, Starrgirl, making the London festival an important stop during the project’s rollout.

Ayra Starr performed alongside a diverse lineup that included Nia Archives, kwn, Odeal, Westside Gunn, Uncle Waffles, DJ EZ, Maverick Sabre, Katy B and Elmiene & The Sunday Service Choir.

The official All Points East lineup positioned Jorja Smith and Tems as the day’s co-headliners, while Ayra Starr was one of the festival’s major supporting acts.

A major moment for African music

The presence of Tems and Ayra Starr on the same major London festival bill reflects the continued expansion of African music within the UK’s mainstream live-music landscape.

Both artists have established strong international audiences, and their performances alongside Jorja Smith created a powerful meeting point between Afrobeats, African R&B and contemporary British R&B.

With around 45,000 people reportedly attending, the opening day demonstrated the commercial and cultural strength of the current generation of African and British female artists.

For Tems, Jorja Smith and Ayra Starr, All Points East 2026 became another major showcase of how far their music has travelled and how strongly African sounds continue to resonate on the global stage.