Lagos is set to host its Cultural Weekend 2025 from November 14 to 16, in a bid to turn heritage into commerce, the country’s commercial hub said in a statement on Tuesday.
The three-day festival aims to create jobs, attract investment, and forge international partnerships, all while celebrating the city’s rich traditions.
The event, spread across venues including Freedom Park, the National Theatre, and the Badagry Heritage Museum, will feature music, dance, masquerades, fashion shows, culinary tastings, workshops, and lectures on folklore and language. Artisans and creatives will display and sell their work to local and international audiences, linking culture with economic opportunity.
According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Idris Aregbe, the event will serve as a platform for job creation, investment, and international partnerships, in addition to celebrating Lagos’s cultural identity.
“This initiative goes beyond entertainment. It is about empowering cultural artisans, creatives, historians, and all stakeholders who bring our traditions to life. It’s about enabling them to be part of a thriving ecosystem,” Aregbe said.
He described the festival as a cultural baptism, a sensory journey into the identity of Lagos that connects culture with commerce.
The festival will take place at several well-known Lagos landmarks, including the J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Freedom Park, the National Theatre, Badagry Heritage Museum, Lekki Arts and Crafts Market, and Tafawa Balewa Square. Each venue will host activities that highlight Lagos as a city of culture, creativity, and innovation.
Over 72 hours, visitors will enjoy live music, traditional dances and masquerades, fashion shows mixing modern and African styles, food tastings, and hands-on art workshops. There will also be lectures on language, folklore and identity, alongside exhibitions where artisans display and sell their crafts to both local and international guests.
Aregbe emphasised that the festival is a core part of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Lagos Cultural Mission, a long-term strategy to redefine culture as a driver of economic development and position Lagos as Africa’s cultural capital.
“We want every visitor to leave Lagos not just entertained but transformed, to carry home the essence of our stories, our people, and our identity,” he said.
The state government also highlighted that the festival would strengthen public-private collaboration, attract corporate sponsorships, and foster global cultural partnerships, offering a sustainable model for turning Lagos’s heritage into viable business opportunities.
