National theatre residency will prove Africa has World-Class venues — Davido

Afrobeats star Davido says he wants his planned three-night residency in Lagos to demonstrate that African artists can create global music moments at home while contributing to the local economy and promoting Nigerian culture.

CNN reported on Monday that the Nigerian singer will hold the residency at the National Theatre in Lagos from December 17 to 19, combining performances from his latest album, “Oriadé”, with some of his biggest hits and appearances from collaborators.

Davido told CNN that bringing his international success back to Nigeria was important for the culture.

“Bringing everything back home is very important for the culture,” he said.

The 34-year-old said the idea gained momentum after he toured Africa last year, his first wider continental tour 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.”

He added, “I don’t ever want to take that kind of break again away from my fans back home.”

Davido said part of his vision was inspired by the impact of Bad Bunny’s 30-date residency in Puerto Rico in 2025, which attracted international visitors and generated activity beyond the concert venue.

“It was like a whole tourist attraction,” Davido said. “The country (Puerto Rico) made money, he made money, he promoted his culture.”

He hopes his Lagos residency can similarly give international fans another reason to visit the city, particularly during December when Nigerians in the diaspora and foreign visitors converge on Lagos for concerts and other festivities associated with “Detty December”.

“The talent in Lagos is mind-blowing,” he said. “Talent is like water in Lagos.”

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Davido said the newly renovated National Theatre was an important part of the plan because of its place in Nigeria’s entertainment history.

“It’s like our own MSG (Madison Square Garden) kind of thing,” he said, comparing the venue with the famous New York arena.

“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 singer said Afrobeats’ international growth had opened opportunities for African musicians to perform around the world, but argued that overseas success should not come at the expense of audiences 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.”

Davido also acknowledged that artists may earn more from overseas performances but said bringing major productions home could still generate opportunities locally.

“We might not get paid as much as we get paid overseas,” he said, while stressing that artists could bring the same energy and ambition to Nigerian audiences and create local jobs.

He also urged younger artists not to lose sight of the audiences that supported them before international recognition.

“Don’t forget where you started,” he said. “These are the fans. If not for these fans, we wouldn’t be here.”

CNN noted that the Lagos residency is among the first of its kind for an Afrobeats artist in Nigeria, with Adekunle Gold having held a smaller residency in Lagos in 2018.