By Chioma Okoye

Over the last decade and a half, West Africa’s reputation as a credible destination to look out for has risen in popularity. Propelled by culture-shifting triggers like afrobeats, sports, and the trend-setting detty December holiday-long melange of events and social gatherings, the region has been reimagined as a must-visit location for travellers or migrants looking to enjoy African culture at source in any of its most famous and dynamic cities.

Lagos, in particular, has emerged as a hotspot for celebrities, micro-influencers, and global brands looking to connect with a local audience or attune themselves to the ebb and flow of life in Sub-Saharan Africa. Still, with a  few exceptions, there are not many events to sustain the reputation of West Africa’s party capital that Lagos has hoisted on it in recent times. In truth, Lagos cackles into life near the end of the year and parties out the year in style, with a spillover into the early weeks of the new year–it’s a settled pattern that has left a huge gap in the social calendar of Lagos and West Africa for years on end. 

That status quo was maintained until the arrival of HOMECOMING™ festival in Lagos in 2018. Described as a cultural exchange between Africa and the world, it is an annual three-day music, fashion, sport, and arts festival in Lagos, Nigeria, founded by culture connector, Grace Ladoja MBE. Traditionally held over Easter weekend, HOMECOMING™ has evolved from an upstart event into an unavoidable part of the West African social calendar.

The mid-year lack of gatherings and events catered for young people that HOMECOMING™ solves has, ultimately, made it a fan favourite.  “It has become one of those cultural moments that we look forward to,” Tochi Louis, a creative multi-hyphenate based in Lagos, says. “One of the reasons for the anticipation is that, aside from December, West Africa does not come alive like that, and HOMECOMING™ helps bring that avenue to experience the culture again. It also projects our social currency, and that gives us soft power at the end of the day.”

Importantly, the line-up of events for HOMECOMING™ weekend makes it a one-stop shop for conversations that are vital to the creation of a new African identity that presents the continent as a vibrant place that’s teeming with potential and groundbreaking talents. From panels that analyse the African creative economy to showcases that are convened to encourage women’s participation in creative industries, it is an important avenue for these conversations to be had openly among leading players. Similarly, it’s an avenue for some of the most exciting acts in West Africa to perform to a teeming audience that’s in tune with their work; year-on-year, festival-goers are on the lookout for the guest list, which represents the wide ambit of popular music across the region.

Crucially, it is all geared towards empowering native practitioners. As part of its goals, HOMECOMING™ always shines a huge spotlight on African talent, connecting up-and-coming talent to some of the biggest stars in music, fashion, art, and culture.  Nasir Achile, the editor-in-chief of Nigerian culture website, More Branches, believes that the festival has been instrumental in platforming conversations that have been bubbling just beneath the surface. “It’s helped connect several layers of the scene across borders, especially since digital connections have been strengthening on social media,” he says. “The festival provides an in-real-life convergence of the major and minor players at home and in the diaspora to connect under a singular vision of growing our creative scenes.”

Ultimately, HOMECOMING™–with its focus on fostering international exchange–is helping to supercharge West Africa’s cultural cachet and open up a new pathway for conversations between the region and its diaspora while stamping itself as one of the most anticipated events on the West African cultural calendar.