Inside Spotify’s Partnership With UK Rapper Dave’s Annual Football Tournament, Santan Cup
On and off the pitch, Spotify celebrates the culture around football. Since 2022, we’ve worked closely with FC Barcelona to bring the worlds of music and sport together with artist collaborations, matchday playlists, studio visits, and much more. And last week, we teamed up with U.K. rap phenomenon Dave for the seventh edition of his Santan Cup, an annual cultural highlight on the football calendar.
Over the years, the tournament has attracted some of the most influential names in music, including Jack Harlow and Stormzy. This year was no different, with rapper Tiakola, singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy, and designer KidSuper captaining their own squads.
Leading up to the event, Spotify teased the Santan Cup with pitchside advertising at FC Barcelona’s La Liga match against Getafe. Then the tournament took over St. George’s Park, the official home of English football, where teams donned exclusive Spotify-branded training kits to get match-ready.
“Dave has always been passionate about football, and it’s clear for everyone to see that he can play a bit, too,” said Lucy Edwards, Marketing Lead at Spotify. “It’s been cool to watch him keep growing the Santan Cup into what it’s become today, and to have the opportunity to work more closely with him and bring the event to a wider audience through elements like our partnership with FC Barcelona was a real privilege.”
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On the music front, Dave provided the Santan Cup soundtrack with his takeover of Spotify’s Who We Be playlist, featuring tracks from the likes of Aitch, Chy Cartier, and Central Cee. We also caught up with several participants to find out which songs get them pumped before they step on the pitch.
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The tournament saw eight teams battle it out over 35 games for the coveted trophy. After an intense five hours of play, Don Strapzy’s SE Dons emerged victorious with a 2-0 win against Rising Ballers FC (which features some of the best unsigned talent in London) in the final.
The Santan Cup once again proved to be a unique celebration of music and sport, and Spotify was proud to be part of the action. We’ll keep connecting fans from both worlds in new and exciting ways, so stay tuned.
Get your head in the game and stream our Who We Be playlist.
