Goldenvoice, the promotional body that powers Coachella, has filed a lawsuit against Afrochella. The festival organizer behind Coachella has accused the Ghanaian music festival of “intentionally trading on the goodwill of [Coachella and Goldenvoice’s] well-known COACHELLA and CHELLA festivals and trademarks.” Goldenvoice also claims that Afrochella has “fraudulently” attempted to register [Coachella’s] actual trademarks as their own.”
Afrochella Founders Abdul Karim Abdullah and Kenny Agyapong met in college and began throwing parties on campus. As they grew older, the duo began hosting events around New York City before successfully launching the festival the world knows today in Ghana.
“We wanted a space where we could celebrate our own culture,” Abdullah told TIDAL.
Afrochella has grown into a worldwide phenomenon and attracted international stars to its stages. This year, the festival is set to take place in Ghana on December 28-29, 2022 with Burna Boy and Stonebwoy serving as the headliners. However, a pending lawsuit from Goldenvoice could threaten the future of the festival.
Goldenvoice is attempting to gain an immediate restraining order on the Afrochella name. The plaintiff is also hoping to get $100,000 in exchange for various domain names related to the festival.
