South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla has removed the planned Lagos performance from the official schedule of her A*POP World Tour. The date, which organisers had listed with a venue still to be announced, no longer appears on her tour itinerary or related platforms. Cape Town and Johannesburg remain intact as the African closing leg. Neither Tyla nor her management has issued a formal statement explaining the change, leaving the move open to interpretation amid days of heated debate.
The development follows a rapid shift from excitement to controversy that began just days earlier.
The Original Tour Announcement
On Monday, July 27, 2026, Tyla unveiled her first full headline world tour. Live Nation presented the 34-date run as her most ambitious outing yet, spanning Europe, North America, and Africa.
The itinerary opened on October 12 at Zenith Paris before moving through Amsterdam, London, Glasgow, Manchester, Brussels, Berlin, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, and other European cities. The North American leg was scheduled to begin on November 12 in Wheatland, California, before continuing through San Francisco, Vancouver, Chicago, Boston, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and other markets.
The tour positioned Africa as its final chapter, with Lagos as the continent’s first stop before concluding with hometown shows in Cape Town and Johannesburg in early 2027. Many fans viewed the Lagos date as a significant moment, marking a major headline performance in Nigeria during the high-energy Detty December season.
Backlash and Divergent Reactions
The announcement quickly collided with longstanding tensions between Nigeria and South Africa. Renewed xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa in 2026, which reportedly resulted in deaths, disrupted businesses, and forced the evacuation of roughly 1,400 Nigerian citizens, prompted many Nigerians to question Tyla’s decision to perform in Lagos. Critics focused on her perceived silence over the attacks and challenged the optics of announcing a high-profile Nigerian concert while tensions remained unresolved.
Calls for a boycott quickly gained momentum across Nigerian social media and among prominent public figures.
Activist and social commentator Martin Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, took one of the strongest positions. In a video statement, he declared, “There will be no Tyla concert in Nigeria. It is not happening,” framing his comments as a direct warning to organisers and promoters. He referenced ongoing issues such as the Chidimma Adetshina deportation controversy and warned that the concert would face disruption if organisers proceeded.
Writer and commentator Solomon Buchi also called for a peaceful but firm boycott. He urged Nigerians to reject the concert, arguing that audiences should support local artists instead of welcoming a South African performer “with open arms” while xenophobic attacks continued.
Media personality Oladotun, popularly known as Do2dtun, questioned the promoters behind the Lagos concert and stated that anyone who attended would be a “b@stard,” describing the decision to stage the event as tone-deaf and lacking accountability.
Not everyone agreed with the boycott.
Former presidential candidate and activist Omoyele Sowore defended Tyla’s right to perform. He insisted that “Tyla’s Lagos concert must go on,” arguing that Nigerians should direct their anger toward political leaders whose failures, in his view, created the conditions for recurring xenophobic attacks. Sowore maintained that people should not hold an individual musician responsible for broader governmental or societal problems.
A Nigerian law firm, DACO LP Africa, also supported that position. Managing Partner Damilare Adenola argued that Tyla had every right to perform and earn a living from her craft. He urged Nigerians to hold governments accountable rather than individual artists for the actions of a nation.
Why Was Tyla’s Lagos Concert Removed From the A*POP Tour?
The quiet removal of the Lagos date closes one chapter of the story while leaving larger questions unanswered. Tyla’s A*POP World Tour will continue across Europe and North America before concluding in South Africa. Whether she removed the Lagos stop in response to boycott pressure, logistical challenges, or other factors remains unknown, as neither the singer nor her management has offered an official explanation.
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