Date & Time: Friday, August 22, 2026 | 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Venue: The Ripple Centre, Barking, London
Core Purpose: Reconnecting the African diaspora with cultural heritage, celebrating hair beauty innovation, and driving economic empowerment and business networking.
Onidiri Festival 2.0 hair festival
Connecting with cultural identity creates a strong foundation for community growth and entrepreneurship across the African diaspora. Expanding on its successful debut, Roots and Radiance Network CIC has officially announced plans for Onidiri Festival 2.0. Scheduled for Friday, August 22, 2026, at The Ripple Centre in Barking, London, the annual gathering will run from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM under the compelling theme “Roots, Rhythm and Revolution”.
Designed to bring together industry leaders, business owners, creatives, and members of the global Black community, Onidiri Festival 2.0 celebrates African heritage, hair artistry, and beauty innovation. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Favour Ben emphasized that this year’s edition will be three times larger than the inaugural gathering, offering participants an enriched environment for networking, business development, and cultural preservation.
Empowering The Diaspora
A core element of Onidiri Festival 2.0 is driving actionable dialogue around key social and economic issues affecting Africans globally. The event features two strategic panel sessions addressing governance, business growth, and creative leadership.
The first panel session focuses on cultural preservation, governance, leadership, and entertainment. Moderated by leadership advocate Dr. Tobi Oyefeso, the discussion brings together prominent figures including legal strategist Prince Adenola Adegbesan, veteran entertainment personality DJ Abass Tijani, former Mayor of Barking and Dagenham Princess Bright, Ghana’s Youth Tourism Ambassador Joseph Amartey, and entrepreneur Olabamidele Badmos (popularly known as Bambad). Together, these experts will share strategies for community development, economic empowerment, and sustainable leadership.
Advancing Hair Care Innovation and Industry Standards
African hair heritage and cosmetic craftsmanship remain central to the festival’s overarching mission. The second panel addresses hair care science, cosmetic innovation, professional education, and commercial scaling.
Moderated by Fitila Advisory founder Ayobami Bolorunde, the session features cosmetic scientist Ebala Imade Florence, educator Jane Cotterill, PrepCare Hair Ltd founder Rebecca Cornwall, and ABV Training Academy founder Abbey Osho. The panellists will offer insights into elevating industry standards, developing safe product formulations, and expanding beauty enterprises. Additionally, Henry Obot will join the gathering as a distinguished special guest.
Celebrating Artistic Expression Through Music, Poetry, and Culture
Alongside professional discussions, Onidiri Festival 2.0 offers a vibrant showcase of African artistic expression, music, and poetry. A dynamic roster of performers will entertain guests, featuring saxophonist Samuel Ogundapo (Dayo Sax), percussionist Adeniyi Olusola Morolahun (Abuletic King), gospel artistes Raphael Akpos Kangha and Tito Austen, guitarist Taiwo Sanusi, cultural poet Adejoke Makanjuola (Elejire Akewi), Lanre Ojetunde (Sugar Larry), Adebisi Samuel (Corner Stone), WAJI-MH, Adeola Peters, and Adeyinka Akinremi (Super Girl).
Supported by partners including Abèkè, Abuletic, DJA Media, Fitila Advisory, Inspirecraft Global Inc, InspireEdge, Kalo African Media, Nas Empire Promotions, Oakss Consult, Afrohair Empire Limited, and Impact Women Network CIC, Roots and Radiance Network CIC continues to build a lasting annual platform that fosters unity, cultural pride, and business collaboration across the diaspora.
