By Chinazam Ikechi-Uko.
The Weekends of Lagos is like a song off Beyoncé’s Renaissance album; rhythmic, shiny, energetic, upbeat and much better than its Middle Ages counterpart. Although the people of the Mediaeval periods are known for their love of partying and boozing, let’s face it, no one in the 14th century can outparty a Lagosian.
“My favourite part about Fashion Week is the after parties, my favourite part about Lagos is the party scene. Lagosians know how to party and there is a culture that normalises attending multiple parties in a day.” The man-made islands of Lagos are synonymous with nightlife so the appearance of an IJGB (I Just Got Back– from abroad) at clubs is quintessentially to the archetypes found at the party scenes.
“I went clubbing a lot so I can’t remember most of the details.” IJGBs are not the only Nigerians who come to experience the best Lagos has to offer, as a non-Lagosian expressed her love of the city after indulging in the Detty December of 2023. “I loved all the Hard Rock events [ChibyVerse], the Vogue Boys party, the parties, clubs and the cavemen’s concert… they started on time.”
December has proven to be the busiest season for entertainment in Lagos, however, the weeks leading up to Easter are a close second, with the 2024 edition boasting multiple events such as +234 Fair (22nd – 31st March), Homecoming (27th March – 1st of April), WAF Skatepark opening (23rd March), AfroHaven by Chibyverse (29th March), Femme Fest (29th March), Alté Culture Festival (30th March), HI-FI EDM rave (29th March), and many more.
“After Homecoming panels, I will head to Femme Fest then I will go for HI-FI, you know raves start peaking at 2 am so I have time to attend all.” One can be anything they want to be but not at the same time and the guests at Alara attending the Homecoming masterclasses shared a similar sentiment; they can be at any party they want to be at but not at the same time, and that is why there are 24 hours in a day.
But with the Detty December parties still in mind and the events of the Easter season not yet cold, ranking the best events came naturally to the partygoers of Lagos. They have been to almost every one, both niche and popular, here is their list of the ones you ought to have on your bucket list.
HERTITUDE:
The memory of women dancing in Amore Gardens surrounded by faux cherry blossom trees alongside natural vegetation might be only a few days old, but make no mistake, the undeniable admiration of the women’s only event, HERtitude is not a case of recency bias.
“HERtitude was really OUR utopia.” Women on Twitter took to express their love of the 3rd edition of HERtitude. “Hertitude was amazing! It was lovely seeing you beautiful ladies.” “HERtitude was 10/10.”
According to the 25 women asked after the event, HERtitude was easily their number 1 on the list of must-see events. Some attendees took a trip from the neighbouring state of Ogun to have the time of their lives. If you are a woman looking to experience a dance party with alcohol, tattoos, piercings and an array of beauty and fashion vendors then all roads lead to HERtitude. Plus, you can guarantee it starts on time.
ART EXHIBITIONS:
“I love looking at art. Exhibitions are not loud, unlike the other events.”Another event that young adults of the Lagos scene suggested was Art exhibitions. 15 out of the 20 willing participants mention exhibitions. “Any exhibition goes.”
Au contraire, to popular belief, Lagos does not offer solely musical events; the cosmopolitan city has slowly grown into a hub for creatives in several sectors and the art industry is no different. A new art exhibit runs every month and the best part is the locations of the galleries are Art Hopping friendly.
All my alcoholic friends are familiar with the term Bar hopping, as the name suggests, it is hopping from bar to bar because why get the party going up on a Tuesday when you can get up and crash another in hopes of it being more fun? The same practice can be applied to art galleries and if you overlook the traffic, Ikoyi is a small part of Eti-Osa so seeing all its finest galleries is the Cretan Bull in the Herculean task that is driving around Lagos.
Top Galleries include Tiwani Contemporary, Rele Gallery, Soto Gallery, Oda Gallery, Ko Art Space, and Nike Art Gallery.
VOGUE BOYS:
The Vogue Boys might be going on a national tour and spreading their talents with Lagos iconoclasts such as the citizens of The Buj [Abuja], nevertheless, Lagos is home and Lagos was where they proved that when it comes to a good party, call them, peep them because no one else reaches them in their craft. “The Vogue Boys know how to throw a party.” A first-time attendee expressed. In the words of The Bami Of Bariga, “Have you watched Project X? Their parties have that aura and Project X is the ultimate party.”
RAVES:
Ascension, Sweat It Out, Element House and Group Therapy; congratulations, if you recognised these names, you are well-versed in the Lagos rave community. Electronic Dance Music (EDM) is typically associated with white people but that’s a myth and the turnout at the Activity Fest (an Electronic Music Festival) is evidence. “Some people like Sweat It Out and some do not, if you want to know what raves you’d like the most, attend a collaborative event. If you want to indulge in rave culture, attend any, but there is definitely a rave for everyone.” The 2020s marked a rise in Lagos’s rave scene and has shown no signs of slowing down in 2024, with the return of the global rave, Boiler Room, on April 13th. This highlights the recognition of Lagos as an EDM hub on an international scale.
HOMECOMING:
“The performances are great and it is almost like the speakers are within the ground because you feel full body vibrations. It does not matter if I know the artiste on stage, the energy from the crowd. This is my fourth year and I will be back next year.”
Homecoming is a big ball that contains a little bit of everything for everyone; starting with art tours, the five-day event that falls on the week before Easter, partners with Dada Gallery to provide an art tour inclusive of a bus for enthusiasts. There are also masterclasses on fashion, music and the business of entertainment. The event offers customisations at its fashion pop-ups at ALARA which include established brands and emerging brands.
GTCO FESTIVALS:
“All you need to know is it is at Landmark and entrance is free, I do not think there is a need to say more, that is enough reason to tell you why it is in my top 5 best events in Lagos.” Tolu, 23, thinks it is obvious why he and everyone else loves the GTCO event.
All the stories are true; GTCO does host an annual food and drink festival with hundreds of food vendors, masterclasses and food magazines. The vendors offer diverse categories of food and drinks. “Do you know about vodka coffee or coffee vodka? Neither did I but I was introduced to it at the GTCO food and drink festival. I go there to discover new ways to indulge in alcoholism and of course to try foreign food.”
“I had no idea Lagosians had this number of fashionable people.” The GTCO fashion weekend is a Lagosian favourite, getting into the venue is often stressful because of the large number of people trying to drive in. But traffic has never stopped a Lagosian nor should it stop you.
SPOTIFY EVENTS:
“Spotify called and I had fun at my first-ever sip and paint event!” Content creator, Sweet Ope exclaimed as she discussed her recent participation in the Spotify Sip And Paint event where it unveiled its Daylist playlist. The event mixed music and art as attendees got to explore the latest playlist while channelling their inner Picasso.
“I like to look at sponsors of events, I am very security conscious and I get bored easily so seeing that something is Spotify sponsored translates to me as good music, good guarantee, and that is a go.” Spotify sponsors events such as NATIVELAND and FEMME FEST.
HEINEKEN EVENTS:
“I would attend anything if you slap Heineken on it.” The best quotes on parties are found at parties and every Bobby, Tobi, and Khalil would rather tell you their opinions and where to find the best parties, than their names, lest you discover their secret identity as a nepo baby.
Seeking out guarantees from the sponsor list seems to be a popular trait among partygoers.
Activity Fest is one of the events on the Heineken-sponsored roster. Nevertheless, Heineken does not limit itself to electronic music as it is the major sponsor of the annual Lagos Fashion Week which dominates Halloween Week. The last week of October in Lagos is fascinating because the visual difference between someone dressed for a Halloween party and another dressed for Fashion Week is hard to spot. “Lagos Fashion Week was very nice.” Rainé, an aspiring Lagos baby girl explained.
CHIBYVERSE:
Hard Rock Cafe is a restaurant chain with Rock n Roll themes but in the Western African archipelago that is Lagos, it is a restaurant that hosts several of the best parties in the country.
South Socials, AfroHaven, Afro Festival, and After Dark Friday; when it comes to events, the ChibyVerse is the gift that keeps giving and delivering. Bonus point if you get photographed and make it to the ChibyVerse social media account a la Chiby Hall of Fame.
Note: dates are not fixed for most events, however, their Instagram pages give updates on their next event.