Diversity & Representation · Indicator 6
Balance of local and international artists
What this indicator asks
How many of the artists who perform in Lagos are based in Nigeria?
not scored
Over 450 artists (with over 420 whose country is known) on over 230 Lagos event line-ups, for events dated between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2026.
International artists make up 20.6%, but get 13.4% of bookings. On average, a local artist is booked for 3.0 events, while an international artist gets 1.8. So a local artist is booked 1.7 times more often than an international artist. Most international artists come from South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
A participant said smaller raves give space to emerging local DJs and to sounds still new to the Nigerian palette, so that everybody grows creatively together.
Another participant said there are many spaces for DJs in Lagos, but few for producers who make and release their own music, and that this work gets little support.