Nairobi, Kenya – 13 July 2026
Gospel outgrew drill among Kenya’s young listeners as Nairobi’s Gen Z shapes a multi-genre listening culture, new Spotify data reveals. Rather than sticking to one style of music, young people in Nairobi are listening to a wide mix of genres—from gospel and gengetone to dancehall, bongo flava and amapiano.
Spotify’s latest listening data for June 2026 shows that people aged 18 to 24 made up 53.7% of all streams in Nairobi, the highest share among the three African cities studied. By comparison, listeners in the same age group accounted for 44.4% of streams in Lagos and 29.9% in Johannesburg.
The data shows that several music genres are growing at the same time among Kenya’s young listeners.
Dancehall recorded the fastest growth, increasing by 95% compared with the previous year. Bongo flava followed with 75% growth, reflecting the strong musical connection between Kenya and Tanzania. Gengetone, the homegrown sound born in Nairobi, grew by 48%, while gospel increased by 37%—around six times faster than drill, which grew by 6%. Amapiano also continued its rise with 34% growth, while Afrobeats (+25%), R&B (+28%), and Afropop (+21%) all posted gains.
The figures also reveal that younger listeners have different tastes from older audiences. Genres such as deep house, jazz, classic country and rumba congolaise are streamed less often by people aged 18 to 24 than by the wider population.
Spotify’s data shows that Nairobi’s Gen Z listens to music throughout the day. Their busiest listening hour is 12 noon, while the overall city reaches its highest streaming levels at 6 p.m. Nearly 40% of Gen Z’s daily listening happens between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with another 30.5% taking place between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Even during the early morning hours between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., they account for 55% of all streams in Nairobi.
The report also highlights growing interest in podcasts. Nairobi’s Gen Z listens to podcasts at a much higher rate than young people in Lagos and Johannesburg, with Arts, Society & Culture, Comedy, and Health & Fitness among the most popular categories.
“Greasy Tunes Nairobi brings these listening habits to life by showing how young Kenyans enjoy music and audio across different genres and experiences,” said Agnes Opondo, Artist and Label Partnerships, East Africa at Spotify. “The programme creates a space where artists, communities, food, conversations and music come together, reflecting Nairobi’s vibrant culture.”
The new data comes ahead of Spotify’s Greasy Tunes Nairobi, which runs from 15 to 26 July 2026 at Heltz House. The 12-day programme will feature live performances, emerging artists through Fresh Finds, Nakili Sessions, a Gospel and Alt Night, football watch parties, food experiences with Jikoni Studios, podcast recordings, comedy, and panel discussions celebrating Nairobi’s creative culture.