If you were at Moovin Festival 2026, there’s a good chance you heard the unmistakable sound of Tanante somewhere across the weekend. From performing alongside breathtaking fire shows to delivering our biggest stage show to date, this year’s festival was one we’ll never forget.
For us, African drumming at Moovin Festival is about much more than performing. It’s about bringing people together, celebrating West African culture and sharing unforgettable moments with our audiences—and with each other.
Our weekend began with live performances alongside the spectacular fire shows on both Friday and Saturday night.
Standing just metres from the fire performers, we could actually feel the heat as showers of sparks flew through the air. More than once, sparks landed on us—and even on our drums—while we carried on playing! It certainly made for an unforgettable experience and added even more excitement to an already incredible performance.
There’s something magical about combining live West African drumming with fire performance. The rhythm, movement and flames created an atmosphere that neither the audience nor the band will forget in a hurry.
Without a doubt, the highlight of the weekend was our Saturday afternoon performance on The Udder Stage.
This was our biggest Tanante line-up to date, with 13 performers sharing the stage. Seeing everyone together, surrounded by friends, family and festival-goers while performing our music, was a proud moment for us all.
We were also fortunate to be fully mic’d up, with every drum individually miked. A huge thank you goes to the fantastic sound engineers and stage crew, who insisted on giving every drum the attention it deserved. The result was one of the best live sounds we’ve ever had.
The performance featured an incredible line-up of musicians and dancers.
The combination of powerful drumming (Iya Sako was on fire!), traditional songs and vibrant dance created an unforgettable show. Seeing the audience dancing from the very first rhythm reminded us why we love performing live.
One of the things that makes Tanante special is that it’s about far more than performing together.
Yes, we rehearse, perform and work hard to put on the best show we possibly can, but some of our favourite memories happen away from the stage. Sharing meals, chatting for hours, discovering new music, dancing together and simply enjoying each other’s company are all just as important as the performances themselves.
That sense of friendship and community naturally finds its way into our music. When everyone genuinely enjoys being together, it creates an energy that audiences can feel.
That’s what Tanante is all about.
One of the best parts of Moovin Festival is that, when we’re not performing, we get to enjoy being festival-goers ourselves.
This year we had an amazing time dancing to Gilles Peterson, Mickey Finn, Groove Armada, Jaguar Skills and the incredible Moonchild Sanelly. Watching world-class artists, catching up with friends and discovering new music is all part of what makes Moovin one of our favourite festivals of the year.
A massive thank you to the organisers, volunteers, production team, sound engineers and stage crew for making another fantastic weekend possible.
Thank you also to everyone who stopped to watch us, danced with us, cheered us on or came over afterwards to chat. The support we receive means the world to us.
Every year, African drumming at Moovin Festival reminds us why we love what we do. We already can’t wait to come back.
If you’re looking for an exciting live band for a festival, corporate event, cultural celebration or private event, Tanante delivers unforgettable African drumming performances featuring master musicians, traditional songs, spectacular dancers and high-energy rhythms from West Africa.
Whether we’re performing on a festival stage, accompanying a fire performance or bringing people together through music, our aim is always the same—to create an unforgettable experience.
Get in touch to find out more about booking Tanante for your next event.
