It’s another ‘Detty December’ as we call it in Lagos, the busiest and most entertaining period in Lagos. A time for entertainers to cash out, for IJGBs to reclaim their title, for our Igbo brothers to establish their wealth. But what’s more concerning for event organisers and concertgoers like us, is the question of decent entertainment and event venues.
If you have ever experienced the discomfort that comes with being cramped in a space with hundreds or thousands of people at an event because the capacity of the venue is lesser than the number of attendees, you will be able to relate to this article.
Lagos is known to be the commercial and entertainment hub of Nigeria but still cannot boast of a decent event venue that meets international standards. Before you mention the Eko Convention centre, which is the ONLY custom-built venue for events, keep in mind that it only comfortably sits 3000 people. You’d have to pay exorbitantly to attend or host a show there and it would still be overpacked due to high demand.
Now, let’s do a little math. Wizkid’s sold-out show in London was held at the 20,000 capacity venue, 02 arena, a concert outside his own home country. If Wizkid headlines a show at said Eko Hotel, he can comfortably pull a bigger crowd or at least the same amount of crowd than he did in London, what then happens to the 8000 who can’t fit into that venue but also want to see Wizzy perform?
In 2019, International star, Cardi B headlined the Live Spot X Festival, an event that attracted over 3000 estimated people even with a highly-priced ticket fee for the average Nigerian. It’s evident that given a bigger space? Nigerian show promoters can deliver a bigger event that accommodates fans.
The issue is not actually the availability of venues, but the availability of venues that will meet demands. All artistes want their fans to attend their shows but the limited space makes this seem unachievable.
There are definitely bigger spaces that would comfortably take over 10,000 people – Tafawa Balewa Square hosted House on the Rock’s The Experience yearly for 6 years, Olamide headlined his own show at The National Stadium in 2018. These venues have capacity but lack resources. Stage, Lights, Sound! down to restrooms! Event organisers have to provide every single resource needed to pull a show, something that should be built with the venue.
In the face of COVID-19, event organisers and show promoters now have to host events at venues that are at least 50% bigger than the number of expected guests, which further pushes down the attendance figure, something show promoters have hacked- increase the ticket fees.
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS?
It’s about time to invest in a bigger space, although there are so many factors that may make it difficult to achieve.
One may ask how the venues will fill up the space all through the year. But, venues like Eko Convention Centre have learnt to repurpose their hall and are mostly always booked.
Others may ask that it would take a lot of investment, which I totally agree with but there’s always one estate/apartment worth billions springing up in different corners of Lagos. It’s also worth partnering with the government to achieve this.
A HEADWAY?
While we continue to clamour for better venues, some of us will have to make do with attending smaller events and watching the big stars on video streaming platforms.
