South African singer Tyla drops Lagos concert after xenophobia boycott backlash
South African Grammy‑winning artist Tyla had scheduled a performance in Lagos for 22 December 2026 as part of her A*POP World Tour. The announcement sparked widespread outrage in Nigeria following a wave of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, including the killing of Chika Ibe. Social‑media users launched boycott campaigns, urging “no right‑thinking Nigerian should buy a ticket for Tyla’s show” and threatening to prevent the concert from taking place.
Prominent voices such as content creator Solomon Buchi, activist VeryDarkMan and other Nigerian influencers called for cancellation, while a Nigerian law firm, DACO LP Africa, publicly defended Tyla’s right to perform, arguing that collective guilt is unlawful. Former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore also opposed the boycott, urging Nigerians to direct anger at political leaders instead of the singer.
Days after the intensified criticism, the Lagos date disappeared from the official tour itinerary on Tyla’s website. No formal statement from Tyla or her management explained the removal, and the concert was not officially cancelled but simply omitted from the schedule. The controversy highlighted lingering tensions between Nigeria and South Africa over repeated xenophobic incidents.
Entities: African Action Congress · Bola Ahmed Tinubu · Bola Tinubu · Cyril Ramaphosa · DACO LP Africa · Damilare Adenola · Lagos · Omoyele Sowore · Solomon Buchi · Tyla · VeryDarkMan
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Nigerian author Solomon Buchi publicly called for cancelling Tyla's Lagos concert, citing her silence on South African xenophobic attacks. (91b2269c-29ef-40fd-8f23-de5ea3dab143)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Tyla, a South African Grammy‑winning singer, has a Lagos concert scheduled for December 22, 2026 as part of her A*POP World Tour. (All belongs‑true articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Omoyele Sowore defended the concert, urging Nigerians to direct anger at political leaders rather than the artist. (All belongs‑true articles)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Nigerian federal government evacuated more than 1,500 Nigerians from South Africa due to xenophobic violence. (d6e0d354-e408-404b-925b-37b3db170ecf)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Sowore specifically blamed Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for conditions that foster xenophobic violence. (d6e0d354-e408-404b-925b-37b3db170ecf, 5ae2702a-6e83-408c-baa3-1240ab09826b)
- [● 7 SOURCES] No official cancellation of Tyla's Lagos concert has been announced. (All belongs‑true articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa targeted Nigerians, including the death of Nigerian citizen Chika Ibe. (All belongs‑true articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Social‑media users in Nigeria launched boycott campaigns urging the Lagos concert be cancelled. (All belongs‑true articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Human‑rights activist Omoyele Sowore urged Nigerians not to boycott Tyla, blaming political leaders for xenophobia. (all)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Nigerian law firm DACO LP Africa defended Tyla’s right to perform, arguing that collective guilt is unlawful. (All belongs‑true articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Social‑media activist VeryDarkMan warned the Tyla show would not happen in Nigeria. (All belongs‑true articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Tyla removed the Lagos concert date from her A*POP World Tour schedule. (All belongs‑true articles)