This interview with Seattle's Bobby Akinboro is part of Hypebot’s In The Trenches series sponsored by venue, festival and promoter marketing solution Bandsintown PRO. The series features the unsung heroes who make live music happen.
We dive into Akinboro's origin story, his vision for BLASTFEST and the strategies he's used to grow it into the West Coast's premier Afrobeats festival. Now in its 4th year, BLASTFEST will beheld on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at Seattle Center's Fisher Pavilion.
"The brands and festivals that win are the ones that make their audience feel like participants, not consumers," says the rising independent promoter.
In The Trenches with BLASTFEST's Bobby Akinboro
Share a little about yourself and what you do.
My name is Bobby Akinboro, also known as BLAST. I’m the founder of BLASTFEST, and the DJ for the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Storm.
I was born in Lagos, raised in Dallas, and eventually moved to Seattle to work at Microsoft as a Program Manager. At the time, there was a clear gap, one of the fastest-growing global genres, Afrobeats, didn’t have a real home in this city. So I started DJing to fill that void, which led to working with artists like Asake, Wizkid, Davido, and others.
BLASTFEST came from that lived experience. It wasn’t about starting a festival, it was about correcting an imbalance. We’re building a platform that connects the diaspora, introduces new audiences to the culture, and establishes Seattle as a legitimate stop in the global music conversation.
Tell us about your festival
BLASTFEST takes place in Seattle, Washington, a market that hasn’t traditionally been recognized as a cultural hub for Black or global music at scale, which is exactly why we chose to build here.
We’ve grown into the premier Afrobeats festival on the West Coast, drawing thousands of attendees and audiences from across the country. Our lineups have featured globally recognized artists and DJs shaping the sound of Afrobeats and Amapiano, alongside emerging talent that represents where the culture is going next.
More than a venue, BLASTFEST is a destination. It’s designed to feel intentional, elevated, and culturally authentic, something that reflects the global standard of the music, not just the local expectation.
What does your typical workday look like?
There’s no real “typical” day, but it usually sits at the intersection of culture, business, and execution.
On one side, I’m in conversations with partners, brands, and artists, aligning on how we scale the platform. On the other, I’m working on marketing strategy, experience design, and community engagement.
A big part of the role is also narrative, making sure we’re not just building events, but shaping how people understand what this is and why it matters. At this stage, it’s equal parts operator, storyteller, and builder.
What ‘go to’ tools, strategies and outlets do you use to market most shows?
"If the experience is authentic, the community will market it for you."
We focus heavily on community-driven marketing.
Social platforms like Instagram and TikTok are core, but the real driver is cultural credibility, people trust what feels real. We prioritize UGC (user generated content), influencer partnerships that are actually aligned with the culture, and direct engagement with our audience.
We also lean into SMS and email for conversion, but the foundation is always the same: if the experience is authentic, the community will market it for you.
What newer marketing tools, strategies and outlets show the most promise?
AI is starting to play a bigger role, not in replacing creativity, but in enhancing speed and precision, especially around audience targeting and content iteration.
That said, the most promising shift isn’t a tool, it’s a mindset. The move away from transactional marketing to community ownership. The brands and festivals that win are the ones that make their audience feel like participants, not consumers.
We’re also seeing a lot of opportunity at the intersection of culture and tech, how platforms, data, and storytelling come together to create more personalized and immersive experiences.
Name a campaign you were involved in where you felt you had the most impact?
BLASTFEST itself.
Building this in Seattle has had impact beyond the event. It’s created space for a culture that wasn’t being fully represented, and it’s shifted expectations around what’s possible in this market.
We’ve seen people travel in from across the country, we’ve seen brands start to pay attention, and most importantly, we’ve seen the community feel seen.
That’s the real impact, changing perception and creating something that didn’t exist before.
What do you wish more artists and teams would do differently that would make your job easier and help sell more tickets?
Lean into storytelling earlier.
A lot of artists rely on announcement-driven marketing, drop the flyer, expect the audience to respond. That’s not how people engage anymore.
The artists that move tickets are the ones who bring their audience into the process, sharing the journey, building anticipation, and making fans feel connected before they ever step on stage.
It’s not just about showing up. It’s about building a moment.
'Culture is leading'
We’re entering a phase where culture is leading, and infrastructure is catching up.
For a long time, cities like Seattle weren’t part of the conversation when it came to global Black music. That’s changing, and it’s not accidental.
The future of live events isn’t just about bigger stages, it’s about more intentional ones. Spaces that reflect the audience, the culture, and the moment we’re in.
That’s what we’re building with BLASTFEST.
Hypebot’s In The Trenches series is sponsored by venue, festival and promoter marketing platform Bandsintown PRO. Join leading live event professionals saving time and selling more tickets with their automated, self-serve and custom solutions.
