LAGOS, Nigeria: Nigerian music star Davido is preparing to turn Lagos into an international Afrobeats destination with a three night residency at the National Theatre from December 17 to 19, bringing together music, culture and fans from Nigeria and around the world.
The residency will celebrate his latest album, “Oriadé”, alongside some of his biggest hits and a career spanning 15 years, a period that has coincided with the rapid international growth of Afrobeats.
For Davido, the December shows are about more than celebrating his career. The 34 year old artist wants to demonstrate that major international music experiences can be created on African soil and that global audiences can travel to Lagos rather than African artists always having to travel abroad.
“Bringing everything back home is very important for the culture,” Davido told CNN.
The idea developed after the singer toured Africa last year. Although he has continued performing in Nigeria, the wider continental tour was his first in eight years.
“Me just being home just gave me so much inspiration,” he said. “This kind of feels better doing it from where you’re actually from.”
“I don’t ever want to take that kind of break again away from my fans back home,” he added.
Inspired by Bad Bunny
Davido said his plans for Lagos were partly influenced by Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, who staged a 30 date residency in Puerto Rico in 2025.
The Nigerian artist said he was struck by the wider economic and cultural impact of the residency, rather than only the concerts themselves.
“It was like a whole tourist attraction,” Davido said. “The country (Puerto Rico) made money, he made money, he promoted his culture. So that’s kind of where my head is at.”
Lagos already attracts large numbers of visitors during December, particularly members of the Nigerian diaspora and international tourists who arrive for concerts, parties and other entertainment events associated with the festive season known as “Detty December”.
Davido hopes his residency will add another attraction to the city’s December calendar. The shows are expected to draw on music from different stages of his career and feature appearances from some of his collaborators.
He also believes Lagos has the creative talent needed to support the city’s growing reputation as an entertainment centre.
“The talent in Lagos is mind-blowing,” he said. “Talent is like water in Lagos.”
A major homecoming
The residency is among the first large scale residency projects by an Afrobeats artist in Nigeria. Adekunle Gold staged a smaller Lagos residency in 2018.
Davido will perform at the newly renovated National Theatre, a venue with a long history in Nigeria’s entertainment industry and one that carries particular significance for the singer.
“It’s like our own MSG (Madison Square Garden) kind of thing,” he said, comparing the venue’s cultural importance with New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The National Theatre is also intended to serve as part of the message Davido wants to send to international audiences about Africa’s capacity to host major cultural productions.
“It’s very important that we show the outside world that we have these kinds of facilities in Africa as well,” Davido said. “We’re really showing people that we can do this ourselves.”
The global expansion of Afrobeats has transformed the opportunities available to Nigerian and other African musicians. Artists from across the continent now regularly tour Europe, North America and the Middle East, performing to audiences far beyond their home countries.
Davido said he welcomes the international recognition but believes the growth of African music should also create opportunities for audiences and workers at home.
“Everybody’s going to get a hit and run to America, run to the UK, run to the Middle East and do shows,” he said. “But I feel like bringing everything back home is very important for the culture.”
He acknowledged that artists may earn less from performances in Africa than they do from some international shows, but said bringing major productions home can still generate employment and allow artists to deliver the same ambition and energy they take to overseas audiences.
For Davido, the connection with the fans who supported him before his international success remains central to his plans.
“Don’t forget where you started,” he said. “These are the fans. If not for these fans, we wouldn’t be here.”
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