As the headline act for Day 2 of Afro Nation’s fifth-anniversary edition in Portimão, Portugal, Tems delivered an unforgettable blend of vulnerability and power, reminding the sold-out crowd why she is among Afrobeats’ most magnetic voices.
A Historic Headline Moment
Tems made history in July 2025 when she was announced alongside Burna Boy as one of Afro Nation’s first female headliners for its fifth-anniversary celebrations on July 9–11. Her presence on the Lit Stage spotlighted the festival’s growing commitment to elevating female voices in Afrobeats, following her groundbreaking distinction as the first African female artist to lead one of the event’s main stages.
Setlist: A Soulful Odyssey
Her set spanned intimate ballads and uptempo grooves, culminating in “Replay,” whose choreography was immortalized by Notjustok tweets of her nimble dance moves.
| Song | Key Moment |
|---|---|
| Damages | Pulsating percussion under dramatic silhouette lighting |
| Crazy Tings | Crowd chanting the “dia dia” hook in unison |
| Love Me Jeje | Haunting guitar riff that hushed the beach for an acoustic interlude |
| Me & U | Slinky groove with dancers accentuating every beat |
| Free Mind | Emotional swells with waving LED wristbands across the audience |
| Try Me | Call-and-response igniting a festival-wide sing-along |
| Vibrate | Bouncy bass line that had fans dancing body-to-body |
| Scratch My Back | Funky guitar intro leading into an impromptu vocal improvisation |
| Essence | Confetti cannons as the crowd sang every lyric |
| Replay | Electrifying finale, Tems’s dance moves captured by Notjustok tweets |
Stagecraft and Visual Narrative
Tems’s production married minimalism with drama: a single overhead spotlight would frame her silhouette before the stage exploded into a cascade of warm amber and deep purple hues. Behind her, kinetic LED backdrops pulsed with ocean-inspired waves and lyric animations, underscoring the set’s emotional highs and lows.
Audience Euphoria: From Shouts to Screens
Fans from over 160 countries witnessed her supremacy on stage, many recording every moment for social media archives. As Tems transitioned into “Replay,” the roar of cell-phone flashlights and the swirl of dancers made the sand of Praia da Rocha feel like the world’s largest dance floor.
Why Tems’s Afro Nation Moment Resonates
Her Day 2 takeover wasn’t just another festival slot—it was a statement. In a scene long dominated by male performers, Tems’s poised authority, flawless vocals, and intimate stage presence reaffirmed that female voices are central to Afrobeats’s next chapter.
From the hushed anticipation of “Love Me Jeje” to the euphoric climax of “Replay,” Tems’s performance at Afro Nation 2025 will be remembered as one of the festival’s defining milestones. Whether you were there on the beach or watching from afar, her set proved that true artistry transcends borders—and sets a new benchmark for live Afrobeats.