A year ago, many of Kenya’s fastest-rising artists had little presence among Spotify listeners aged 18 to 24. Today, several of them are recording hundreds of thousands of monthly streams, while some of the country’s biggest music stars continue to grow their audiences. According to Spotify’s June 2026 listening data, Kenya’s music scene is expanding instead of simply replacing older artists with new ones.
Young listeners are discovering fresh talent while continuing to support established musicians. The new findings come as Spotify’s Greasy Tunes festival continues in Nairobi. The festival marks Kenya’s diverse music scene by bringing together rising stars and established artists through events such as Fresh Finds, Nakili Sessions, the EQUAL Showcase, and live performances.
Spotify’s data among Nairobi listeners aged 18 to 24 highlights impressive growth for several upcoming artists. Ywaya Tajiri recorded the biggest increase, with a 6,151% rise in streams compared to last year. The artist’s song Chai ya Saa Kumi became Nairobi’s most-streamed track in June 2026.
Women artists are also making significant progress. Brandy Maina recorded 205% growth, while Maandy grew by 201%, showing the increasing popularity of female artists in Kenya. The figures show that new talent is reaching audiences faster than ever, helping to strengthen Kenya’s growing music industry.
Spotify’s data also displays that Kenya’s biggest artists are still attracting new fans. Prince Indah recorded 221% year-on-year growth among listeners aged 18 to 24. Nyashinski grew by 147%, Bridget Blue by 140%, Kinoti by 107%, and Nikita Kering’ by 96%.
Sauti Sol remained the most-streamed Kenya-connected artist in Nairobi during June 2026 and still achieved 30% growth compared to the previous year. The results suggest that listeners are not choosing between new and established artists. Instead, they are enjoying music from both generations, creating a healthier and more diverse music ecosystem.
Agnes Opondo, Spotify’s Artist and Label Partnerships Manager for East Africa, stated it is encouraging to see growth across the entire industry. She noted that emerging artists are building audiences quickly while established musicians continue to attract new fans. She added that Greasy Tunes was created to celebrate both breakthrough talent and well-known artists, bringing them together with the communities that support them.
Running from 15 to 26 July at Heltz House in Nairobi, Greasy Tunes is a 12-day festival celebrating music, food, fashion, sport, comedy, podcasts, and community experiences. On 22 July, spoken word artist Gufy hosted a Poetry Night that highlighted storytelling and creative expression. The following day, Nyashinski performed for Spotify Premium fans during one of the festival’s headline events.
The festival continues with Fresh Finds and Nakili Sessions, which showcase upcoming artists, alongside the EQUAL Showcase and discussions featuring established musicians. Spotify’s June 2026 data displays that listeners aged 18 to 24 generated 53. 7% of all streams in Nairobi.
This is the highest share of Gen Z listeners among Nairobi, Lagos, and Johannesburg. These young listeners are also driving growth across several music genres, including dancehall (95%), bongo flava (75%), gengetone (48%), and gospel (37%). The data highlights how Kenya’s young audience is helping both new and established artists grow, making the country’s music industry more vibrant and creating opportunities for talent across different genres.