By Efe Onodjae

The Experience concert returned to where it all started at The Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan for the 18th edition on Friday 8, December 2023.

The highly-anticipated concert featured a host of award-winning international and Nigerian gospel artists, to give soul-lifting performances and credence to the widely viewed annual concert.

A-list gospel artists that performed at the concert included Travis Greene, Naomi Raine, Nathaniel Bassey, Sinach, Dunsin Oyekan, Donnie McClurkin, William McDowell, Ada Ehi, Tim Godfrey, Onos Ariyo, Prinx Emmanuel, Moses Bliss, Adeyinka Alaseyori, Mr M & Revelation, Tope Alabi, Timi Dakolo, The Lagos Metropolitan Gospel Choir accompanied by the Rock Cathedral Gospel Choir, and more.

The Metropolitan & Senior Pastor of House On The Rock, Paul Adefarasin disclosed at a media parley held at the
Eko Hotel &Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, that the time has come for the body of Christ to intentionally nurture an unrelenting commitment to the common good through persuasive mediums including but not limited to music and film.

He affirmed that the theme for this year, “Jesus Our Way Maker,” has deep significance viewed against the backdrop of a very tumultuous and challenging year marked by severe socio-economic hardship and insecurity in the nation Nigeria.

The Experience 18 is said to symbolize a beacon of hope, disrupting the darkness of widespread hopelessness and feelings of desolation.

According to him, “The heart of the 18th iteration of The Experience is a journey defined by faith, unity, collaboration, and powerfully transformative moments. The success of this journey can only be attributed to the power of The Almighty, who began and sustains what is now globally acclaimed as the biggest gathering of gospel music enthusiasts on the face of the earth.”

He, however, said, that beyond being a concert The Experience has matured into a counterculture that aspires to bring Heaven down to Earth and into the reach of humanity, as we navigate the intricate interplay of faith and culture shaping our interaction and development initiatives in our shared journey toward great nationhood.

While alluding that “The Experience 18” in more ways than one, symbolizes a beacon of hope, disrupting the darkness of widespread hopelessness and feelings of desolation.

The Clergyman added that the concert is a collaborative journey that is not merely a night of exhilarating praise and worship but a catalyst for a purposeful cultural shift toward Heaven On Earth and a better nation in a better world.