Asake Live in NYC: Afrobeats Meets Symphony at Kings Theatre

On 8 November 2025, the velvet curtains of Brooklyn’s historic Kings Theatre will part to reveal an experiment decades in the making. Asake, the Nigerian star who helped usher in the Amapiano‑driven Afropiano wave, will stand beneath the proscenium not with a DJ or drum machine, but with a forty‑piece symphony behind him.

Kings Theatre’s official announcement

This one‑night‑only concert is part of Red Bull Symphonic, the touring series that pairs contemporary artists with classical orchestras to reimagine their catalogues.

For the first time the series touches New York City and for the first time it turns its spotlight on an African artist. In an industry where crossover moments often feel transactional, Asake’s upcoming show promises something deeper: a fusion of genres rooted in heritage and a love of live performance.

The event was announced in September, with Red Bull describing it as a collision of “Lagos and Brooklyn” and confirming that the concert will take place at Kings Theatre in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Earlier marketing materials incorrectly labelled the show as happening at Lincoln Center, but the official pages from Red Bull and local listings from City Guide make it clear that Kings Theatre is the venue.

According to Red Bull, Asake will perform his biggest hits from Mr. Money to Lonely at the Top  arranged for orchestra by Anthony Parnther (who previously worked on Metro Boomin’s orchestral show) and conducted by Glenn Alexander II, a maestro who has led ensembles from Atlanta Symphony to Broadway’s Les Misérables.

Tickets went on sale on 24 September and quickly became some of the most coveted seats in New York’s fall calendar.

In a press release, Asake described his excitement and the influence classical music had on his childhood.

The artist also expressed gratitude for the platform: “I feel blessed to be part of Red Bull Symphonic and amplify my sound in this unique way”. Ahead of the performance he told Red Bull he’s been listening closely to the orchestra’s breathing and dynamics to “make it feel natural … the Asake sound, with a classical twist”. For a performer known for fluidly hopping between genres he calls his style a blend of fújì, Afropop, amapiano and R&B the chance to stretch into symphonic textures feels like a logical next step.

Afrobeats’ New York moment

The show arrives as Afrobeats hits a new global high. Over the past decade the genre has gone from local pop to worldwide phenomenon, fuelled by streaming and collaborations with artists from hip‑hop, R&B and dancehall. Asake himself embodies that surge. Born Ahmed Ololade in Lagos, he studied theatre at Obafemi Awolowo University and initially pursued dance before turning to music in 2017.

His breakout came in 2020 with the viral single “Lady” and the club‑rocking “Mr. Money,” leading veteran rapper Olamide to sign him to YBNL Nation in 2022. Since then he has released two chart‑topping albums, sold out London’s O2 Arena twice, earned Grammy nominations and become one of the youngest acts to pack Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Asake’s sound, often called Afropiano, fuses Yoruba storytelling with amapiano basslines, fújì percussion and contemporary pop hooks a hybrid he once described as “just to make Asake”.

That hybridity is exactly what excites the show’s conductor. Glenn Alexander II, who is stepping in as Red Bull Symphonic’s lead conductor this year, said the performance offers a chance to connect people over a shared love of music: “It’s an honor and a privilege to be part of something that’s bigger than myself … [the event] will genuinely connect people over our shared love of music”. In a separate interview he described the upcoming night as “magical, worship and innovative”. Alexander’s résumé includes conducting the national tour of Les Misérables and performances at Carnegie Hall and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. His appointment signals how seriously Red Bull is taking this fusion; this isn’t a gimmick but a carefully orchestrated experiment.

Media outlets have emphasised the cultural significance of the evening. City Guide calls it a “historic, one‑night‑only concert experience” that will blend Afrobeats with the grandeur of orchestral performance inside Brooklyn’s landmark venue. amNewYork notes that the heartbeat of Lagos will meet the glory of Brooklyn and frames the show as a bridge between global and local influences, making classical music more accessible to wider audiences. The Nollywood Reporter points out that this is the third U.S. edition of Red Bull Symphonic following Rick Ross in Atlanta in 2022 and Metro Boomin in Los Angeles in 2023 and the first staged in New York. For Asake, who already closed out 2023 by being the first African artist to sell out Barclays Center and has a new album titled “Money” on the horizon, it’s another milestone in a year filled with wins.

Social buzz and fan anticipation

When Kings Theatre announced the show on its X account, fans erupted. The venue’s post calling the event “Afrobeats colliding with a symphony for an unforgettable experience” was reposted thousands of times and instantly generated FOMO among New York’s Nigerian diaspora and hip‑hop heads.

Social accounts like @KwalityKontent and @PlayDrift amplified the announcement, noting the rarity of seeing an African artist headline a symphonic concert in the U.S. and reminding fans that tickets would go on sale on 24 September. Another widely shared tweet from @JuniorAwolowo declared that the concert had sold out weeks before the date, adding rocket and celebratory emojis to underscore the hype. These posts, while brief, captured the mood: Asake’s symphonic experiment isn’t just a gig; it’s a cultural event.

On Instagram, Red Bull’s @RedBullMusic account posted rehearsal footage of Asake listening intently to violins and cellos, juxtaposing his usual high‑energy stage presence with the poised discipline of classical musicians. Comments from fans ranged from “Afrobeats to the world!” to jokes about needing “location money” for the trip.

Even global stars like Wizkid and Tems dropped emojis of support, highlighting how the broader Afrobeats community is rooting for the success of this cross‑genre venture. By the time Asake takes the stage, anticipation will have been fuelled not just by official press releases but by the organic excitement rippling through social media.

Why Kings Theatre matters

Locating the concert at Kings Theatre also holds symbolic weight. The 1929 venue in Flatbush, once a movie palace, has become a hub for Black music and culture in recent years, hosting everyone from Burna Boy to Diana Ross.

Holding Red Bull Symphonic there, as opposed to Lincoln Center’s austere halls, signals a democratic embrace of classical‑crossover performance. amNewYork argues that blending Afrobeats with orchestral instrumentation breaks classical music’s reputation for exclusivity and brings it into conversation with one of the world’s most popular genres. In other words, the location itself becomes a statement: Afro‑diasporic creativity belongs on the grandest stages without having to conform to Eurocentric norms.

Looking ahead

Asake’s Red Bull Symphonic show will likely mark the beginning rather than the culmination of the artist’s orchestral explorations. The Afrobeats star is already teasing his next studio album Money, slated for release later this year. With his symphonic performance drawing mainstream attention and his genre‑blending style inspiring younger musicians, the Brooklyn concert could open the door for more African artists to collaborate with classical institutions. If Afrobeats’ first foray into symphonic presentation proves successful, expect to see similar experiments at festivals and concert halls across the world.

One thing is certain:

On 8 November, Kings Theatre will become an epicentre of cultural exchange. Asake will stand at the intersection of Yoruba drums and European strings, fuji chants and brass fanfares, performing songs that once reverberated through Lagos clubs for an audience now dressed in their Sunday best.

It’s a moment years in the making, made possible by a generation of artists who refused to see genres as walls but as bridges. And it’s a moment that will send ripples far beyond Brooklyn back to the streets of Lagos, the lounges of London, the playlists of Tokyo and Paris. In the words of one fan’s viral tweet: “Asake doing a symphony is what I always wanted God please give me location money.”