Diaspora Calling! Festival

Ms. Lauryn Hill Takes Diaspora Calling! Festival to Milton Keynes for Landmark UK Debut

On Fri 7 Aug, Ms. Lauryn Hill will be joined by Wyclef Jean, YG Marley and Zion Marley at Milton Keynes National Bowl.

Diaspora Calling! will make its UK debut on Friday 7 August 2026 with a major open-air event at Milton Keynes National Bowl. The inaugural edition will be headlined by the legendary Ms. Lauryn Hill in what is currently her only confirmed UK performance for 2026. She will be joined by Wyclef Jean, YG Marley and Zion Marley, with further artists across the two stages to be announced in the coming months.

Originally launched in 2016, Diaspora Calling! was conceived by Ms. Lauryn Hill as a music and art initiative celebrating the culture, creativity and shared histories of the African diaspora. The project began with a curated art exhibition and live performance at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, where Ms. Hill presented a gallery focused heavily on Haitian art alongside a programme of live music. The concept later expanded into a tour that featured artists including Nas, Kehlani, Noname and Little Simz. Across its various iterations, the platform has centred on themes of unity, resilience and cultural exchange among African descendant communities worldwide.

Ms. Lauryn Hill is a Grammy-winning singer, rapper and songwriter whose vast influence spans hip-hop, soul and R&B. She first rose to prominence as part of the game-changing Fugees before releasing her landmark solo album, 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill', which earned five Grammy Awards. Hill is celebrated for her lyrical depth and genre-blending sound and is a culturally significant artist whose work continues to centre identity, spirituality and social consciousness.

Supporting her is Wyclef Jean, a fellow Grammy-winning artist, producer and founding member of the Fugees whose sound blends hip-hop with Caribbean, soul and global influences. Representing a new generation is YG Marley who brings conscious lyricism and reggae-rooted sounds that reflect the legacy of his family while carving out his own contemporary voice. Zion Marley continues the Marley lineage with his own modern fusion of reggae, soul and hip-hop to the diaspora-inspired lineup.

The 2026 UK edition brings this vision to one of the country's largest outdoor venues with a full food village offering a range of different tastes and treats from several traders. Milton Keynes National Bowl is a haven for large-scale concerts and festivals with high-spec lights and sound with easy access that makes it a perfect setting for a show of this importance.

Diaspora Calling is strictly a 14+ event. Anyone aged 14–17 must be accompanied by a legal guardian. No one under 14 will be permitted entry.