Are you living in Lagos or making plans to visit Lagos? It’s normal to be overwhelmed by how much is happening in this city. There are likely festivals you’d hear about after they have ended, exhibitions you’ll miss because you didn’t know they existed, and concerts that would have been perfect for a weekend outing if only you had known about them sooner. It can take a while to realize that Lagos isn’t just Nigeria‘s economic capital—it’s a vibrant cultural hub with an events calendar that rivals any major city in the world.
Whether you’re a Lagos resident looking to explore your city more deeply or you’re planning a visit to Nigeria’s most dynamic metropolis, understanding the rhythm of annual events in Lagos will help you experience the city at its best. From fashion weeks that draw international attention to local festivals that celebrate our rich heritage, there’s truly something for everyone throughout the year.
I’ve put together this comprehensive Lagos events calendar to help you see all the major events in Lagos and choose which ones you want to attend. Trust me, once you start planning your year around these occasions, you’ll never look at Lagos the same way again.
Complete A-Z Guide to Annual Events in Lagos
+234 Art Fair
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos (venue changes)
Overview: +234 Art Fair is an intimate art fair focusing on emerging and mid-career artists, offering a more accessible entry point into the contemporary art world.
Significance: It provides a platform for younger galleries and artists to connect with collectors in a less intimidating environment.
Africa Gaming Expo (AGE)
Date: February 24-27, 2026
Location: Lagos
Overview: Africa’s largest gaming industry expo featuring game developers, e-sports tournaments, and gaming technology exhibitions.
Significance: AGE is developing Africa’s gaming industry by connecting local developers with global opportunities and audiences.
Africa Technology Expo (CES of Africa)
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: Africa’s largest technology exhibition featuring the latest innovations in consumer electronics, AI, robotics, and IoT.
Significance: Dubbed “Africa’s CES,” this expo has become the continent’s most important tech showcase event.
African Tourism Education Summit
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: The African Tourism Education Summit is an event focused on tourism education, training, and developing hospitality professionals in Africa.
Significance: This event addresses the skills gap in Africa’s growing tourism and hospitality sector.
AFRIMA (All Africa Music Awards)
Date: November 7-11, 2026
Location: Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island
Overview: AFRIMA is a prestigious pan-African music awards ceremony celebrating excellence in African music across multiple genres.
Significance: AFRIMA has become one of Africa’s most respected music awards, showcasing the continent’s diverse musical talent.
Afropolis Festival
Date: April 1-6, 2026
Location: Lagos
Overview: Afropolis Festival is a multidisciplinary festival celebrating African urban culture through music, film, art, and discussions.
Significance: Afropolis explores what it means to live in contemporary African cities, with Lagos as a prime example.
Akwaaba Travel Market
Date: September 13-15, 2026
Location: Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island
Overview: Akwaaba Travel Market is West Africa’s premier travel and tourism exhibition connecting travel professionals, tour operators, and hospitality providers.
Significance: Akwaaba is essential for anyone in the travel industry, facilitating partnerships and promoting African tourism.
Aproko Nation Fiesta
Date: November 29, 2026
Location: Lagos
Overview: Aproko Nation Fiesta (aka “The Healthiest Party Ever”) is a vibrant community festival celebrating Nigerian pop culture while laying emphasis on the importance of healthy living. Key highlights include performances, games, and interactive experiences.
Significance: This event captures the spirit of Nigeria’s digital generation, bringing online communities together for real-world celebrations and self-care.
ART X Lagos
Date: November 6-9, 2025
Location: Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island
Overview: Arts X Lagos is West Africa’s leading international art fair brings together galleries, artists, collectors, and art lovers for four days of exhibitions, performances, and discussions.
Significance: This event has positioned Lagos as a major player in the global contemporary art scene, with works from across Africa and the diaspora.
BusinessDay CEO Forum
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: BusinessDay CEO Forum is an exclusive forum for CEOs and business leaders to discuss economic trends, policy issues, and business strategies.
Significance: This high-level event shapes business conversations and policy advocacy in Nigeria’s private sector.
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BusinessDay Tourism Conference
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: BusinessDay Tourism Conference is an event focusing on developing Nigeria’s tourism sector with discussions on policy, investment, and marketing.
Significance: This event advocates for tourism development as a driver of economic growth and job creation in Nigeria.
Creative Business Summit Nigeria
Date: November 19, 2025
Location: Lagos
Overview: A conference for young creative entrepreneurs covering branding, marketing, funding, and business development.
Significance: This summit bridges the gap between creativity and commerce, helping artists build sustainable businesses.
Eko for Show
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: Eko for Show is an initiative sponsored by Google Arts and Culture to showcase and celebrate Lagos. The initiative profiles over 100 creatives across the spectrum of music, art, photography, fashion, musicals, literature and food.
Significance: Eko for Show aims to promote the Lagos creative industry, foster cultural pride and identity, and unify diverse communities.
Elegba Festival (Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom)
Date: Varies annually
Location: Ikate-Elegushi, Lekki
Overview: A traditional festival honouring the Yoruba deity Elegba with prayers, rituals, and cultural performances.
Significance: This festival maintains the spiritual and cultural traditions of the Ikate-Elegushi kingdom despite rapid urbanization.
Elevate Poetry Experience
Date: March 23
Location: Lagos
Overview: A spoken word and poetry event featuring performances, workshops, and open mic sessions.
Significance: This event has revived interest in poetry among young Lagosians, creating a space for literary expression.
Eyo Festival
Date: Irregular (held for special occasions)
Location: Lagos Island
Overview: A sacred masquerade festival where white-clad Eyo masquerades parade through Lagos Island, representing ancestral spirits.
Significance: This is Lagos’s most iconic traditional festival, steeped in history and cultural significance, dating back over 100 years.
Felabration
Date: Varies annually
Location: New Afrika Shrine, Ikeja
Overview: Felabration is a week-long annual music festival celebrating the life and legacy of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, featuring performances from African and international artists.
Significance: This is one of Lagos’s most culturally significant events, keeping Fela’s revolutionary spirit and music alive while supporting contemporary African artists.
Finance Expo & Crypto Summit
Date: Various annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: Finance Expo & Crypto Summit is a conference exploring fintech innovations, cryptocurrency, blockchain, and the future of finance in Africa.
Significance: This event is crucial for understanding how digital currencies and fintech are reshaping African finance.
Flytime Festival / Rhythm
Date: December 22-25, 2025
Location: Eko Convention Centre
Overview: Flytime is an annual music festival featuring top Nigerian and international artists performing across multiple days.
Significance: Flytime has become synonymous with end-of-year celebrations in Lagos, attracting massive crowds for unforgettable performances.
Gidi Culture Festival
Date: March or April
Location: Eko Atlantic City
Overview: Gidi Cultural Fest is a vibrant celebration of Lagos youth culture featuring music performances, art installations, food vendors, and fashion.
Significance: Gidi Fest perfectly captures the energy of young Lagos, blending music, fashion, and street culture in one massive party.
G.R.O.W Conference
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: G.R.O.W Conference is a women-focused business and empowerment conference featuring workshops, mentorship, and networking sessions.
Significance: G.R.O.W empowers female entrepreneurs and professionals, contributing to gender equality in Nigerian business.
GT Bank Fashion Weekend
Date: November (dates vary annually)
Location: Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island
Overview: GT Bank Fashion Week is a signature fashion event highlighting African creativity and craftsmanship through designer showcases and style presentations.
Significance: Known for its elegant production and strong support of local designers, this event has become a cornerstone of Lagos’s fashion calendar.
GTCO Food & Drink Festival
Date: April–May
Location: Eko Energy City, Victoria Island
Overview: GTCO Food & Drink Festival is Africa’s largest food festival featuring local and international cuisines, cooking demonstrations, mixology sessions, and live music.
Significance: This free event has become a highlight of Lagos’s social calendar, attracting over 250,000 visitors annually.
Hospitality & Business Summit
Date: July, November (dates vary annually)
Location: Lagos
Overview: Hospitality & Business Summit is a conference focused on Nigeria’s hospitality industry featuring discussions on tourism, hotels, and hospitality management.
Significance: This summit addresses the challenges and opportunities in one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing service sectors.
Ikorodu Oga Festival
Date: Varies annually
Location: Ikorodu
Overview: A traditional festival celebrating Ikorodu’s history and culture with masquerades, traditional music, and dances.
Significance: This festival preserves and promotes the rich cultural heritage of the Ikorodu division of Lagos.
International Jazz Day Festival Lagos
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos Island
Overview: International Jazz Day Festival Lagos is a celebration of jazz music featuring local and international artists, jam sessions, and workshops.
Significance: This event is part of a global celebration of jazz, highlighting Lagos’s growing jazz scene and its talented musicians.
Investopia Africa Lagos
Date: September 2025
Location: Lagos
Overview: Investopia is a UAE-sponsored investment conference connecting African entrepreneurs with global investors, featuring pitches, panels, and networking.
Significance: Investopia facilitates capital flow into African businesses, helping to bridge the continent’s funding gap.
Lagos Beach Wine & Food Festival
Date: Varies annually
Location: Beachfront venues, Lagos
Overview: Lagos Beach Festival is an upscale culinary event featuring wine tastings, gourmet food samples, chef demonstrations, and live entertainment.
Significance: This festival has elevated Lagos’s food scene, introducing residents to fine dining experiences and wine culture.
Lagos Black Heritage Festival (LBHF)
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: LBHF is a celebration of African heritage through performances, exhibitions, workshops, and cultural exchanges.
Significance: LBHF reconnects the African diaspora with their roots while celebrating Black excellence and African culture.
Lagos Blockchain Week
Date: December 10-13, 2025
Location: Lagos
Overview: Lagos Blockchain Week is West Africa’s premier blockchain and cryptocurrency conference featuring workshops, networking sessions, and expert panels.
Significance: This event positions Lagos as a leading hub for blockchain technology and cryptocurrency innovation in Africa.
Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF)
Date: November 10-16, 2025
Location: Freedom Park and other venues, Lagos Island
Overview: LABAF is a multi-disciplinary festival celebrating literature, visual arts, theater, and music with performances, readings, and exhibitions.
Significance: LABAF is one of Africa’s most prestigious cultural festivals, promoting African creativity and intellectual exchange.
Lagos Carnival (Fanti/Caretta Carnival)
Date: April-May
Location: Lagos Island
Overview: Lagos’s biggest street party featuring colorful costumes, music, dancing, and cultural displays from various ethnic groups.
Significance: This carnival showcases Lagos’s cultural diversity and mirrors the energy of famous carnivals like Rio and Trinidad.
Lagos Creative Industry Fair (Eko Akete)
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: A marketplace for creative entrepreneurs featuring fashion, art, crafts, and food in a relaxed outdoor setting.
Significance: This event has become popular among young Lagosians looking to discover unique, locally-made products.
Lagos Cultural Weekend
Date: November 14-16, 2026
Location: Lagos
Overview: The Lagos Cultural Weekend is a 72-hour event hosted by the Lagos State Government to celebrate and showcase the state’s rich cultural heritage, featuring activities like live music, dance, fashion, food, and art workshops.
Significance: Its significance lies in promoting Lagos as a cultural and tourist hub, strengthening the creative economy, and boosting the state’s GDP.
Lagos E1 Electric Boat Race
Date: October 4-5
Location: Lagos Harbour
Overview: Lagos E1 Electric Boat Race is Africa’s first electric boat race featuring high-speed racing on water with cutting-edge electric marine technology.
Significance: This pioneering event positions Lagos as a leader in sustainable sports and marine innovation in Africa.
Lagos Fashion Week
Date: October 29 – November 2, 2025
Location: Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island
Overview: Lagos Fashion Week is Africa’s premier fashion event showcasing both established and emerging designers from across the continent. The week features runway shows, exhibitions, and networking sessions.
Significance: This is the most important fashion event in West Africa, attracting international buyers, media, and fashion enthusiasts. It has launched countless African designers onto the global stage.
Lagos Games Festival
Date: Easter (April)
Location: Various venues, Lagos
Overview: Lagos Games Festival is a family-friendly festival featuring video game tournaments, board games, cosplay, and gaming industry exhibitions.
Significance: This event taps into Lagos’s growing gaming community and the potential of Nigeria’s gaming industry.
Lagos International Festival of Animation
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: LIFANIMA showcases animated films, workshops, and masterclasses with industry professionals from around the world.
Significance: It’s helping to develop Nigeria’s animation industry by exposing local creators to international standards and techniques.
Lagos International Film and Cinema Convention (LIFACC)
Date: November 20-21, 2025
Location: Lagos
Overview: LIFACC is a conference and film screening event for filmmakers, producers, distributors, and cinema operators.
Significance: LIFACC strengthens Nigeria’s film industry infrastructure and promotes Nollywood on the international stage.
Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF)
Date: November 7-16, 2025
Location: Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos Island
Overview: LITF is Nigeria’s largest trade exhibition featuring local and international businesses across multiple sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, and services.
Significance: LITF has been running for over 30 years and remains West Africa’s most important B2B trade platform.
Lagos Leather Fair
Date: June 28-29
Location: Lagos
Overview: Lagos Leather Fair is an exhibition showcasing Nigeria’s leather industry including shoes, bags, accessories, and leather processing technology.
Significance: This fair promotes Nigeria’s leather industry and connects manufacturers with local and international buyers.
Lagos City Marathon
Date: February 14, 2026
Location: Starts at National Stadium, Surulere
Overview: Lagos City Marathon is Africa’s biggest one-day sporting event featuring full marathon, 10km, and wheelchair races with international participation.
Significance: The Lagos Marathon has achieved IAAF Silver Label status, putting Lagos on the international marathon circuit.
LAGOS NBCTRADEFAIR
Date: October 24-26, 2025
Location: Lagos
Overview: Lagos NBCTradeFair is a business-to-business trade fair organized by the Nigeria-Britain Chamber of Commerce promoting bilateral trade.
Significance: This fair strengthens economic ties between Nigeria and the UK while showcasing investment opportunities.
LagosPhoto Festival
Date: Varies annually
Location: Various locations across Lagos
Overview: LagosPhoto Festival is a premier photography festival featuring exhibitions, workshops, and talks with photographers from around the world.
Significance: It’s the first and largest international festival of photography in Nigeria, celebrating visual storytelling and contemporary photography.
Lagos Startup Week
Date: July
Location: Multiple venues across Lagos
Overview: Lagos Startup Week is a week of events for entrepreneurs including workshops, pitch competitions, mentorship sessions, and networking mixers.
Significance: Startup Week has become essential for Lagos’s entrepreneurial community, connecting founders with resources and support.
Lagos Tech Fest
Date: February 17-18, 2026
Location: Lagos
Overview: Lagos Tech Fest is a technology festival featuring startup pitches, tech exhibitions, coding competitions, and networking opportunities.
Significance: Tech Fest showcases Lagos’s thriving tech ecosystem and connects innovators with investors and partners.
Lagos Theatre Festival
Date: November 10-16, 2025
Location: Multiple venues across Lagos
Overview: Lagos Theatre Festival celebration of theatrical performances featuring local and international productions, workshops, and panel discussions.
Significance: This festival has revitalized interest in live theater in Lagos, providing a platform for both established and emerging performers.
Lekki Arts and Crafts Festival
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lekki
Overview: A vibrant marketplace celebrating Nigerian arts and crafts, featuring local artisans, live music, and cultural performances.
Significance: It’s an excellent opportunity to purchase authentic Nigerian handicrafts directly from makers while enjoying the festive atmosphere.
MoonShot by TechCabal
Date: October
Location: Lagos
Overview: MoonShot is a premier tech conference organized by TechCabal featuring discussions on African tech, startup ecosystems, and innovation.
Significance: MoonShot gathers Africa’s most influential tech leaders, making it essential for anyone in the African tech space.
Motorbikes and FoodFest – Jollof and Palmie
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos Island
Overview: Motorbikes and FoodFest is Africa’s biggest motorbikes and food festival combining the thrill of motorcycle culture with Nigeria’s beloved food culture.
Significance: This unique combination appeals to Lagos’s growing community of bike enthusiasts while celebrating Nigerian cuisine.
NECLive (Nigerian Entertainment Conference)
Date: November 28, 2025
Location: Eko Hotels, Victoria Island
Overview: NECLive is Nigeria’s premier entertainment industry conference featuring panels, workshops, and networking sessions with industry leaders.
Significance: It’s the go-to event for anyone serious about the Nigerian entertainment business, from music to film to digital content.
Nigeria AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol Workshop
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: A workshop on implementing digital trade protocols under the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement.
Significance: This technical event helps Nigerian businesses understand and benefit from continental trade agreements.
Olokun Festival
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: Olokun Festival is a traditional festival honoring Olokun, the Yoruba deity of the sea, with rituals, offerings, and celebrations.
Significance: Given Lagos’s coastal location, this festival is important for communities whose livelihoods depend on the ocean.
One Lagos Fiesta
Date: December
Location: Multiple locations across Lagos
Overview: A state-sponsored festival featuring music concerts, comedy shows, and cultural performances held simultaneously across Lagos’s divisions.
Significance: This free event brings entertainment to different parts of Lagos, making cultural celebrations accessible to all residents.
Sip and Paint.NG
Date: Monthly events throughout the year
Location: Various locations in Lagos
Overview: Sip and Paint.NG is a social painting sessions where participants create art while enjoying drinks in a relaxed atmosphere, no experience necessary.
Significance: These events have made art more accessible and social, perfect for weekend activities with friends.
Street Souk
Date: December 22, 2025
Location: Lagos
Overview: Street Souk is the largest streetwear community in Africa. It is a pop-up marketplace featuring local vendors selling fashion, crafts, food, and lifestyle products in a festive atmosphere.
Significance: Street Souk has become the go-to event for last-minute holiday shopping and discovering unique Lagos-made products.
Tech Unite Africa
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: Tech Unite Africa is a pan-African tech conference bringing together developers, entrepreneurs, and investors to discuss technology’s role in Africa’s development.
Significance: This event fosters collaboration across African tech ecosystems and promotes homegrown solutions to continental challenges.
The Herds Puppet Tour
Date: April 20 (Makoko in Lagos)
Location: Makoko community, Lagos
Overview: The Herds Puppet Tour is an art installation and performance featuring large-scale puppets touring through communities to raise environmental awareness.
Significance: This unique event brings world-class art to underserved communities while highlighting environmental issues.
The Omniverse Africa Summit
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: The Omniverse Africa Summit is a conference exploring virtual worlds, metaverse technologies, and their applications in African contexts.
Significance: This forward-looking event connects African tech enthusiasts with global metaverse developments.
Titans of Tech Expo
Date: July
Location: Lagos
Overview: Titans of Tech Expo is an exhibition showcasing technology innovations from leading Nigerian and African tech companies.
Significance: This expo highlights the achievements of Africa’s tech giants and emerging players in the technology sector.
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Top 25 CEOs Awards
Date: Varies annually
Location: Lagos
Overview: Top 25 CEOs Awards is an awards ceremony organized by BusinessDay to recognize Nigeria’s most outstanding CEOs across various industries.
Significance: This prestigious event celebrates business leadership excellence and provides benchmarks for corporate governance.
Zola Fest
Date: December 5-7, 2025
Location: The Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
Overview: Zola Fest is a tourism-focused festival promoting Lagos as a travel destination through cultural performances, food, and experiences.
Significance: Zola Fest showcases Lagos’s tourism potential and encourages both domestic and international tourism.
Planning Your Lagos Event Calendar
There’s truly never a dull moment in Lagos. Are you into art, tourism, technology, food, music, or traditional culture? Lagos has something special waiting for you every month of the year.
My advice? Pick a few events from different categories and plan your year around them. I usually mark the events I don’t want to miss on my calendar early—especially the popular ones. For tech events, I’ve found that early registration often comes with discounts and better networking opportunities.
If you’re visiting Lagos, try to time your trip around one of the major festivals. There’s something magical about experiencing a city during its celebratory moments. The energy is different, the people are more open, and you get to see Lagos at its absolute best.
For locals who, like me, sometimes feel like you’re just going through the motions of Lagos life—commuting, working, sleeping, repeat—these events are your chance to break the routine and rediscover the vibrant spirit of this city. I’ve met some of my closest friends at Lagos events, discovered new favourite restaurants at food festivals, and learned things about Nigerian culture I never knew despite being born here.
The beauty of the Lagos event calendar is its diversity. You can spend a Saturday morning at a tech conference, afternoon at an art exhibition, and evening at a jazz concert, all in the same city.
Follow the organizers on social media to stay updated on dates and ticket information, as details can change. And don’t let traffic discourage you—leave early, bring a friend, make it part of the adventure.
Lagos is waiting to be explored, one event at a time. See you out there!
Did I miss your event or any major annual Lagos event(s)? Send me an email at – events@placestotour.online
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