Ethiopian electronic · 108 BPM

Electronic music in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is one of 37 African cities on Pulse, the Sonic Paths map and radio of African electronic music. Its signature sound is Ethiopian electronic, which we place at 108 BPM (our editorial estimate; the usual range is about 100 to 118). 6 artists and collectives from Addis Ababa are on Pulse, and 3 of their sets play in this page.

On the 3D map

heat 5/106 artists and collectives3 sets play here

Pulse
A hilltop terrace above Addis Ababa at night, a stone wall, eucalyptus trees, a DJ table and speakers, the city lights spread below.

Addis Ababa borrows its rooms. A renovated basement beside the Ambassador Theatre, once Club Illusion, opened as Katanga with a launch party on 6 December: open decks on Thursdays, house and techno on Fridays, African electronic music on Saturdays. Fendika, the azmari bet, was forced out of Kazanchis by a government project and now plays at the Hyatt Regency. Monthly parties run in the gardens of the Juventus club and on a hilltop at Face of Addis. Ethiopian Records coined Ethiopiyawi Electronic and brought Boiler Room to Moseb Music Center in October 2024, the country's first. Venues open and close fast here, Kebelezero and SHIFTA among the closed. Confirm on the day.

Written from the sources on this page, not from a visit. The facts, with their dates and sources, follow.

The pulse of Addis Ababa

Pulse gives every city one tempo: the typical tempo of its signature sound. For Addis Ababa that is 108 BPM, Ethiopian electronic. The usual range of about 100 to 118 is our editorial estimate, not a measured figure.

Ethiopiyawi Electronicelectronic azmarihousetech houseambient / dub
108BPM · Ethiopian electronic
usual range, our estimate 100 to 118

Sounds of Addis Ababa

Each sound has its own page: what it is, its tempo where a source gives one, where it comes from and who carried it.

SoundEthiopiyawi electronictempo not published · signature sound

The scene

Addis Ababa's scene is small, homegrown and rapidly professionalising: Ethiopian Records (Endeguena Mulu) coined 'Ethiopiyawi Electronic' and curated Boiler Room's first Ethiopian broadcast at Moseb Music Center in October 2024, with Nerliv b2b Dotphic and Azmari Synthesis. OkayAfrica (21 Aug 2026) describes azmari bets closing while DJ culture, house parties and independent spaces grow, though venues such as Kebelezero and SHIFTA have closed for cost and redevelopment reasons.

Why it sits at heat 5
Boiler Room Addis (Oct 2024), OkayAfrica scene piece of 21 Aug 2026 and new venues (Fabrica late 2025), but RA shows no listings and venue churn is high.

Sets to play

One tap plays here, through the artist's own player. When a set ends, the next Addis Ababa set follows, then Pulse Radio carries on across the continent.

Set page
Set page
Set page

Keys: space play or pause · n next

Artists and collectives

6 on Pulse from Addis Ababa, 3 with a set that plays here. On the map they sit in a ring around the city, never at an address.

Venues and nights

Only places a source names. "Unclear" means we found the venue but no 2026 event; "last confirmed" is the date of the newest evidence.

  • Moseb Music Center unclear · no 2026 evidence found

    Opened 2023; Monday performances; Boiler Room venue Oct 2024.

    Named by OkayAfrica; no 2026 evidence found.[1]

  • Venue Warehouse unclear · no 2026 evidence found

    Mid-sized hall opened 2022; hosts The Lab.

    Named by OkayAfrica; no 2026 evidence found.[1]

  • Fabrica unclear · no 2026 evidence found

    Cafe and music space opened late 2025.

    Named by OkayAfrica; no 2026 evidence found.[1]

  • Fendika (now at Hyatt Regency, Bole) unclear · not rechecked

    Azmari bet moved after redevelopment; context rather than electronic.

  • Katanga Dance Music Clubclub · seen January 2026

    Next to the Ambassador Theatre (former Club Illusion)

    New basement club opened with a Ghedi launch party on 6 December; open decks Thursdays, house and techno Fridays, African electronic music Saturdays; has booked Alewya, Just Ken and Call Me Diggy.[2]

  • African Jazz Village (Ghion Hotel)bar

    Ghion Hotel

    Mulatu Astatke's home base, with Afro-jazz on Thursdays; context for the city's Ethio-jazz roots rather than electronic.[3][4]

The rooms
Mostly borrowed rooms: a renovated basement under a former club, hotel spaces (Fendika at the Hyatt, Ghion Hotel), and monthly parties in club gardens and on a hilltop.[2][3]

Neighbourhoods

  • Kazanchis

    Fendika's original neighbourhood and an old music district; Fendika now operates nearby at the Hyatt Regency.[5][4]

  • Ambassador Theatre area

    Where Katanga, the city's new dedicated dance-music club, opened.[2]

When to go

No festival season could be sourced; Katanga's weekly Thursday to Saturday programme and the monthly parties run year-round.[2]

Getting there

Airport
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD)[6]
Getting around at night
RIDE, Feres and Yango operate in Addis Ababa; Uber does not operate in Ethiopia.[7]

Listen local

Labels, radio shows and archives from Addis Ababa that keep playing after you leave this page.

Collectives and labels

Coming up

No dated event in Addis Ababa is in our list as of 20 October 2026. All dated festivals on Pulse.

Before you go

Ethiopia criminalises same-sex conduct. Venues open and close quickly in Addis, so confirm with the organiser on the day.

Rooms nearby on Sonic Paths

The atlas rooms, dated signals and expeditions closest to Addis Ababa.

AtlasEthiopia in the atlas

Questions about Addis Ababa

What electronic music is Addis Ababa known for?

Ethiopian electronic, at about 108 BPM. The styles in our data are Ethiopiyawi Electronic, electronic azmari, house, tech house, ambient / dub. Addis Ababa's scene is small, homegrown and rapidly professionalising: Ethiopian Records (Endeguena Mulu) coined 'Ethiopiyawi Electronic' and curated Boiler Room's first Ethiopian broadcast at Moseb Music Center in October 2024, with Nerliv b2b Dotphic and Azmari Synthesis.

What tempo is Addis Ababa's signature sound?

108 BPM. The usual range of about 100 to 118 is our editorial estimate, not a measured figure.

Where can I hear electronic music in Addis Ababa?

The places a source names are Moseb Music Center, Venue Warehouse, Fabrica, Katanga Dance Music Club, African Jazz Village (Ghion Hotel). Check each one's status above and the organiser's own channels before you go.

Which Addis Ababa artists are on Pulse?

Azmari Synthesis, Ethiopian Records (Endeguena Mulu), Nerliv, Mikael Seifu, Rophnan, Dotphic. 3 of them have a set that plays in the page.

What is Ethiopiyawi electronic?

Ethiopiyawi electronic is an experimental electronic music from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which loops and reworks traditional Ethiopian folk and azmari music with post-dubstep, house and dub production, emerging around 2014. More on Ethiopiyawi electronic, with sources.

Sources and nearby scenes

Last checked 20 October 2026 · Send a correction or a tip

Nearby on Pulse

All 37 cities on the Pulse hub