Lagos is preparing to turn the spotlight on itself again, this time with a 96-hour sonic celebration positioned to redefine Detty December.
The state will stage the AfroXela DJ Marathon, a four-day world festival running from December 29, 2025, through January 2, 2026, featuring no fewer than 100 DJs playing without pause.
According to the convener, Buchi Henry Mbagwu (popularly known as Bucci Henry), the event was born out of curiosity from international audiences who continually look to Lagos each December. “People in Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, France and Portugal kept asking what makes Lagos trend so hard at the end of the year,” he noted. Their fascination sparked the idea of turning the city’s famed nightlife into a festival worthy of global attention.
For many in the diaspora, the aim is simple: to feel the Lagos party atmosphere firsthand. This desire, Henry said, pushed organisers to craft an experience that matches the city’s rhythm.
“We asked ourselves why a coastal city that parties endlessly shouldn’t have a festival to reflect that.”
A celebration anchored on DJs, he explained, felt natural, after all, Lagos is synonymous with entertainment. “There’s no party like a Lagos party, and DJs are the heartbeat.”
Initially, the group toyed with a 24-hour format, but after reviewing marathon attempts like DJ Obi’s and DJ Bella’s 250-hour records, their ambition grew. The new vision became a 96-hour non-stop music marathon, an immersive world-record attempt powered by a hundred turntables spinning simultaneously.
The timing was also intentional. Aligning the festival with New Year festivities adds global flavour, Henry said. The countdown begins at 6 p.m. on December 29 and runs straight into 2026, complete with fireworks and worldwide crossover moments.
Three beaches, Wave Beach, Kyma Beach and Athena Beach, will host different segments of the festival. While the main record attempt happens at Wave Beach, the event extends beyond music. AfroXela promises a mosaic of culture: food, fashion, fitness, yoga, Zumba, gospel sets, R&B, rap and hip-hop, with both free and ticketed experiences.
Henry admitted that putting the festival together has been demanding, but the goal is audacious, to stage Africa’s largest party celebration and beam it to over 100 countries. “This is about exporting Nigeria’s narrative,” he said. “We want the world to see Africa differently.”
On stage will be veterans like DJ Jimmy Jatt, DJ Neptune, DJ Humility and DJ Bombastic, alongside fresh names breaking into the industry. More than half of the performance slots are reserved for rising stars, including female DJs. Among them is Masked Queen Bella, Africa’s longest-playing record holder.
The AfroXela DJ Marathon is the official name of the event, organised under the AfroXela brand led by Henry, the founder and creator of the initiative.
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