According to Spotify’s June 2026 listening data, listeners aged 18 to 24 accounted for 53.7% of all streams in Nairobi, the highest proportion among the three African cities analysed. In comparison, the same age group represented 44.4% of streams in Lagos and 29.9% in Johannesburg.
The data shows that Nairobi’s Gen Z listeners are driving growth across multiple genres, including local sounds such as gengetone and gospel, as well as international genres such as amapiano and dancehall.
Among Kenya’s 18–24-year-old listeners, dancehall recorded the highest year-on-year growth at 95%, making it the fastest-growing genre in Spotify’s dataset.
Other genres that recorded strong growth include:
- Bongo flava: +75%
- Gengetone: +48%
- Gospel: +37%
- Amapiano: +34%
- R&B: +28%
- Afrobeats: +25%
- Afropop: +21%
Interestingly, gospel music grew significantly faster than drill, with Spotify data showing gospel streams increasing by 37% year-on-year compared to drill’s 6% growth.
The figures suggest that while drill has gained attention among younger audiences globally, Kenyan Gen Z listeners are incorporating a broader mix of musical influences into their daily listening habits.
The Spotify data also highlights how consistently Nairobi’s young listeners engage with music throughout the day.
For 18–24-year-olds, listening peaks around midday, with 12pm recording the highest streaming activity among the age group. Across all age groups in Nairobi, 6pm is the busiest listening hour.
The period between 10am and 4pm accounts for 39.7% of Gen Z’s daily listening, while evening hours between 5pm and 10pm contribute another 30.5%.
Even during late-night hours between 2am and 5am, Gen Z listeners account for 55% of all streams in Nairobi, highlighting their strong engagement with digital audio platforms.
Spotify to Showcase Nairobi’s Music Culture Through Greasy Tunes Programme
The findings come ahead of Spotify’s Greasy Tunes Nairobi programme, scheduled to run from 15 to 26 July 2026.
The programme aims to bring together artists, communities, food, conversations and music experiences while highlighting Nairobi’s evolving role as a cultural hub.
“Greasy Tunes Nairobi brings the data to life by showing how young Kenyans actually listen: across genres, across formats, and across the social moments that shape the city,” said Agnes Opondo, Artist and Label Partnerships, East Africa at Spotify.
“Over 12 days, we are creating space for artists, communities, food, conversation and sound to meet in one programme, reflecting Nairobi’s energy as a culture hub where music is not just streamed, but experienced together,” she added.
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