After two weeks of public voting, AFRICA.ROCKS has confirmed the five bands advancing to the finals of Soundcheck 2026, the rehearsal-based video competition built around original live performances from bands across Africa.
The first round brought together ten bands from different parts of the continent, each submitting a newly filmed live performance of one original song recorded in a rehearsal setting. Public voting opened worldwide on April 26th through the official Soundcheck page, with listeners helping decide which entries would move forward.
The five bands advancing to the final stage are:
- GREY (Madagascar) – 19.26%
- PAGAN ULVER (Morocco) – 17.74%
- CHOVU (Kenya) – 16.22%
- SLA.ID (Madagascar) – 12.42%
- MYSANTHRIUM (South Africa) – 10.39%
The finalists now move into the second round of the competition. Each band must submit a new rehearsal video with a different original song by May 25th, and the videos will be published shortly afterwards on AFRICA.ROCKS platforms.
The winning band will receive a cash prize of US $250.
You can still watch all 10 original Soundcheck 2026 entries through the official AFRICA.ROCKS playlist.
