Unathi Nkayi Celebrates Sold-Out New York Performance

South African singer and radio host Unathi Nkayi recently took her talent to the international stage, performing at the Loud In Africa Concert Series in New York City.

The highly anticipated event took place on Friday, August 14, 2026, bringing together African music lovers and members of the diaspora for a celebration of African culture in the heart of Manhattan.

Loud In Africa has grown into a major platform for African entertainment, using its events to bring music, fashion, food and art from the continent to audiences around the world. Through its concert series, the platform has created spaces for African artists to connect with international audiences in cities such as New York.

Unathi has become closely linked to the platform through her partnership with Loud In Africa. She has performed at its events and taken on an important role in its music projects. Earlier this year, in April 2026, Loud In Africa announced Unathi as the new face of its upcoming season.

The collaboration has seen the singer take part in the platform’s international events, including the New York City concert, where she delivered a performance for the crowd.

Following the event, Unathi shared several moments from her time on stage with her followers. However, her posts showed that the experience meant much more to her than simply performing in another city.

Unathi opened up about her emotions and reflected on her childhood in the United Kingdom, where she grew up watching African musicians perform and hearing stories connected to her family’s history.

She wrote, “NEW YORK NEW YORK LOUD IN AFRICA

Last night God and my ancestors were present.

Performing at the Loud In Africa festival was spiritual. A festival showcasing artists from all over our beautiful continent with FLAVOUR headlining for the DIASPORA was powerfully to say the least.

This is what I grew up experiencing growing up in the UK with my mom and dad and would watch our artists who could come home because they were exiled during apartheid. It is where my family grew close to the likes of Bra Hugh, Mam Miriam, The Mahotella Queens etc etc etc. It is where we also attended the Free Mandela Concert at Wembley Stadium in 1988.

I wore the NIGERIA tracksuit from @Maxhosa to honour my INCREDIBLE host and owner of the festival. I’M IN TEARS in bed writing this in bed. LOOK at GOD.”

Her message highlighted the personal connection she felt to the moment, especially given her family’s relationship with African music and musicians.

Unathi also celebrated the huge turnout, revealing that the event reached full capacity.

In another post, she wrote, “LOUD IN AFRICA – In the heart of Manhattan, sold to capacity- SOLD OUT – The Diaspora united and it was magical.”

The sold-out event gave Unathi another memorable international performance while allowing her to celebrate African culture alongside artists and audiences from across the continent and the diaspora.

For Unathi, her New York appearance was clearly more than a performance. It was a moment filled with music, history, family memories and pride in where she comes from.