City Splash Festival announces Dancehall legend Popcaan as 2025 Headliner

City Splash celebrates the impact of Caribbean and African culture in the UK and beyond. The festival, situated in Brockwell Park, London creates a space for the community to pay homage to pioneering sounds that raised generations and have become the largest one-day Caribbean and African music festival globally. Today they announce an incredible second wave of artists for their 2025 lineup, including international dancehall sensation Popcaan.

Genre-bending Jamaican dancehall singer Popcaan rose to international success in the early 2010s as a prominent member of Vybz Kartel’s posse and later through work with Dre Skull’s Mixpak label as well as Drake’s OVO roster. The versatile and prolific artist, Popcaan, has transcended genres and has been featured on tracks like Jamie xx’s 2015 “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” and Gorillaz’s 2017 “Saturnz Barz.” This global dancehall sensation will be taking the stage at City Splash 2025.  

Also new to the roster is founder of the Basshall Movement Kybba, pioneering force in UK music Ms Dynamite, rising afrobeats star Qing Madi, South London soul singer Nia Smith, soulful force Sasha Keable, genre-blending Toronto rapper SadBoi, boundary-pushing DJ Jordss, leading producer Mad Professor celebrating 45 Years of Ariwa, Dancehall DJ/Producer DJ Nate, One of the UK’s top selectors DJ Larni, dancehall and bashment DJ English Fire, Jamaican-born artist Ghost Dan, co-founder of One Wurl Sound Josh Skints, Reggae vocalist Jus Blaze, Smirnoff Battle of the Beats winner DJ Kryptic, A pinnacle of London’s dub history King Tubby’s Sound System, Genius Cru member MC Fizzy, activist and lyricist Patrick Junior, reggae artist Ras Chosen, reggae and dancehall artist Ricardo Rawal, AMped! The Breakfast Show host Shep Beats, Shining Stars Showcase, “The Musical Ambassador” Tasha T, R&B fusion artist Taymah Hendi and talented emerging artist Yeshie Renee.

City Splash have also announced the artist joining the line up from their ‘Rise Up’ initiative which launched last year. ‘Rise Up’ is a programme championing outstanding emerging artists from the Caribbean which offers a one-week residency culminating in a slot at the festival itself. This year’s talent consists of Jaz Elise, Nesta, Raebel, Ras-I, ElevateToday and Savannah Dumetz. BBC Radio 1Xtra are also partnering with City Splash again this year – they’ll be onsite recording live sets and chatting to artists.

Each year City Splash celebrates the impact of Caribbean and African culture in the UK and beyond; from the heritage of Roots, Dub and Dancehall to the birth of Jungle and Garage, right up to showcasing the most up-and-coming talent for today. They are purveyors and advocates for Black music, food, dance and style and have become the largest one day Black music festival in the world. 

Join City Splash, the home of culture, as it transforms Brockwell Park into a celebration of Caribbean and African music and culture like no other.