Burna Boy performs at Oakland Arena on April 8, 2023. Italie Penaloza/STAFF.

OAKLAND – After delivering a stellar co-headlining performance last weekend at Dreamville Festival in North Carolina, Afrobeat superstar Burna Boy dazzled Bay Area fans Saturday at Oakland Arena. He made it clear at Dreamville, which was live-streamed, that he’s unlike other artists, stating he “takes as much time as he wants,” after which he refused to leave the stage when told he had only 10 minutes left.

Bringing his big personality and even bigger stage presence to Oakland (the only California show on his current tour), he commanded the audience at all times with his blend of Afrobeat and dancehall sounds.

Since 2019, he’s won a Grammy, became the first Nigerian artist to sell out Madison Square Garden and, as of last week, became the first Nigerian artist to headline a stadium show in the U.S. (New York’s City Field in July).

Burna Boy performs at Oakland Arena on April 8, 2023.

Everything in Burna Boy’s career has grown significantly since his 2019 performance at the Fillmore, so naturally, his stop at Oakland Arena called for a larger-scale production. Backed by his full band, The Outsiders; colorful lights and even a confetti cannon, the entire ensemble was impressive.

Each person on stage contributed to delivering impeccable Afrobeat sounds that filled the arena, including chanted vocals and strong percussion, accompanied by a saxophone, trumpets and guitars.

Touring in support of his latest Grammy-nominated album, 2022’s Love, Damini, he performed over 90 minutes of career-defining hits.

Opening with “Gbona” from his celebrated 2019 album, African Giant, he set the tone for the rest of the night, prompting attendees to dance their hearts out and fill the room with their voices.

Burna Boy performs at Oakland Arena on April 8, 2023.

“I’ve been waiting so long to come back here,” he said of his first performance in the Bay Area since playing Outside Lands in 2021.

The show was a proud display of West African music and his roots, such as”Ph City Vibration,” an ode to his home city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, from 2018 album Outside.

Behind him, images of the Bonny River that runs through the city began to fill the screens. Scenes of fishing, floods and the people of Port Harcourt replaced the flashy light show.

Acknowledging that his journey has not been easy, he requested that people raise their light, a request that was granted as he kicked into “Ye,” from his 2018 album.

Throughout the night, he broke into bursts of dancing, allowing the crowd to finish the words to his songs. He even performed an a capella version of “It’s Plenty” from Love, Damini, with attendees singing along, before the band joined in.

When listing out each of his albums and asking who had listened to them, roars went up from the crowd for each one.

“We have some real ones in Oakland,” he praised. As the show began to wind to a close, he asserted that he could “stay here all night.” As a goodbye, he performed anthem “Last Last,” which brought people to their feet once again.

DJ Spaceship Billy and DJ Lambo, both with Burna Boy’s Spaceship Collective, opened the show. They got the party started with throwback R&B jams, Caribbean music and Afrobeat anthems.

Follow Italie Penaloza at Instagram.com/italiepnlza