The Lagos Fringe Festival returns this week with the theme “Let’s Play,” offering six days of theatre, film, music, performance and workshops at venues across the city from November 3 to 8, 2026.
Organisers describe the theme as an invitation rather than a command, a moment before the rules begin. The festival bills itself as Africa’s largest creative marketplace and open-access multi-disciplinary arts festival. Tickets and festival passes, including early-bird access, are available through its website: https://lagosfringe.com.
Activities begin on November 3 with setup and technical rehearsals at all venues for delegates and participants. The festival formally opens on November 4 with a stakeholders’ forum at 4pm, an opening networking session at 6:40pm at the Amphi Space (Venue 1) and the opening ceremony at 7pm at the Museum (Venue 6). Both are restricted to delegates and participants.
Earlier that day, filmmaker Biodun Stephen will lead a masterclass, “Story is Everything,” at 10am at the Restaurant Opposite the Ramp (Venue 5). It is open to the public at N75,000. A closed-session workshop on pitching and packaging television business and commercials, titled F.R.A.M.E, runs at the Ideas Lab (Venue 4) from November 4 to 6. A film screening is scheduled for 12pm at Collab (Venue 3), followed by a Shakespeare Lagos research engagement at 2:30pm.
On November 5, the programme includes a Women in the Arts session at 12pm at Collab (Venue 3) and a film screening at Venue 5. In the evening, “Irie Vibes”, a social experience, takes place at Freedom Park (Venue 9) at 7pm, while the dress and tech run of the play “Terrapolis” is open to the public at 7:30pm at the Amphi Space.
Friday, November 6, brings the festival market to the Outdoor Area (Venue 8) from 10am, alongside workshops on monetising YouTube (11am), music (11am), monetising social media on Snapchat and TikTok (1:30pm), and play reading and scriptwork (1:30pm). The play-reading workshop is run in collaboration with the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners (NANTAP), AMTA and GTD. Performances include “Tomorrow” (12pm, Forum, Venue 2), “Put It On My Head” (7pm, Forum) and “Kissing” (7:30pm, Collab). The Y2K Party takes place at 7pm at the Amphi Space.
Saturday, November 7, is the busiest day of the festival. It opens with a Family Day BBQ Pool Party at 10am at the Pool (Venue 7) and a market and fashion show at the Outdoor Area. Performances throughout the afternoon and evening include “The Cut Beneath the Silence” (2pm), “Ibi: The Unseen Evil” (4:30pm), “My Room, My Doom” (4:30pm) and Efua Sutherland’s “Marriage of Andrea” (4:30pm). Others are “There is Rice at Home” (5:30pm), “The Lottery Ticket” (5:30pm), “Closure Is For Wigs” (6pm), “Where’s My Groom?” (6pm), “Ijapa in Eko” (7pm) and “Terrapolis” (7:30pm).
Also on November 7, “MENTALITY: What Men Don’t Say” is staged at 3pm at the Ideas Lab, while the Yaanga Magazine launch holds at 4pm at the Museum for delegates and participants. P.A.D.E (Poetry and Dance Experience), featuring Erin James, Etiese Janet Effiong and ArtsLink Productions, is scheduled for 6pm at Collab. “Waiting With The Madisions,” a two-man musical, runs at 6pm at the Ideas Lab, and the “Baddies n Ballers” pool experience at 5pm.
The festival closes on Sunday, November 8, with a poetry and music performance by M. Rumbi at 3pm at Collab, the Lagoonside Literary Sitout at 3pm at Freedom Park, and a symposium marking the second anniversary of J Randle at the Museum at 4pm. Repeat performances of several plays continue through the evening, including “True Colors” at 5:30pm and “Rite of Passage” at 7pm.
The Closing Party and BoiBlacc’s Closing Ceremony Showcase both begin at 8pm at the Amphi Space.
Lagos Fringe, which has run since 2018, uses 10 venues across the city and combines public performances with closed industry sessions for delegates, giving practitioners a platform to network, pitch work and learn alongside general audiences.