Tyla had previously announced a concert in Lagos, Nigeria, on 22 December 2026 as part of her APOP World Tour.
By Kehinde Okeowo
South African pop star and songwriter, Tyla Laura Seethal, known simply as Tyla, has dropped Lagos from the itinerary of her upcoming APOP World Tour.
The Grammy-winning artist took the step following calls by some Nigerians to boycott her planned concert over xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians in South Africa.
On Monday, July 27, 2026, the 24-year-old singer announced her upcoming concert in Lagos as part of her APOP World Tour, which is scheduled to conclude in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9.
The announcement was, however, met with mixed reactions, as some Nigerian influencers and activists urged music fans to boycott the show.
Conversely, some Nigerians opposed to the boycott argued that musicians should not be held accountable for political issues or actions carried out by individuals.
Wading in on the saga, human rights activist and 2027 presidential candidate for the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, criticised attempts to hold Tyla responsible for xenophobic incidents.
“Nigerians should direct their anger at their real enemies… No one should hold a talented musician like @Tyllaaaaaaa vicariously liable for the crimes of xenophobia,” the activist wrote on X, insisting that “Tyla’s Lagos concert must go on.”
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Despite Sowore’s appeal, those calling for the cancellation of the concert argued that Tyla had failed to condemn the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
The debate escalated further after activist Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, threatened to mobilise members of his “Ratel Movement” to prevent the concert from taking place.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page, VeryDarkMan wrote: “Tyla Show Will Not Be Happening In Nigeria.
“This is a message to South Africans. We are Africans and we don’t unalive our own. Since you people have taken it upon yourselves to unalive other Africans because—according to you guys—other African nationalities living in South Africa are taking your jobs…
“We are standing in solidarity to say no to the promoters and celebrities from South Africa who have refused to speak up against these attacks on other Africans living in South Africa.”
Following the back-and-forth, a review of the singer’s official tour schedule on Friday revealed that the Lagos concert, initially scheduled for December 22, is no longer listed among the tour dates.
While the updated schedule maintains her planned performances across Europe, North America, and South Africa, Nigeria has been completely omitted from the list of destinations.
