AFWN sets December 12-13 for Lagos fashion, music festival

From the runway to a major fashion festival featuring a celebrity DJ whose identity will be unveiled soon, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria is preparing an exciting two-day celebration of African style, culture and creativity.

Lagos is known for doing December differently. This year, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria (AFWN) 2026 wants to give the city another reason to step out, bringing together African fashion, culture, music and a major festival experience for two days of style and celebration.

Taking place on December 12 and 13, 2026, AFWN will bring its theme, “AFRICA NOW — THE FUTURE WEARS AFRICA,” to life through a programme designed to go beyond the traditional fashion week experience.

The excitement will begin on Saturday, December 12, with a catwalk and exhibition showcase at the J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History. Designers will take centre stage, presenting African fashion through collections that reflect the creativity, diversity and ambition of the continent’s fashion industry.

‎But the experience will not end when the runway lights go down.

‎On Sunday, December 13, AFWN will bring the celebration to 9 Fola Osibo, Lekki, for a major fashion festival featuring a celebrity DJ whose identity will be announced soon.

The festival is being developed as a standout moment of the AFWN experience, bringing fashion and music together in an atmosphere designed for fashion lovers, creatives, socialites and everyone ready to experience Lagos at its most vibrant.

‎With the DJ announcement still to come, anticipation is already building around what promises to be one of the programme’s major entertainment highlights.

‎The closing-day festival will also feature a meet-and-greet with AFWN designers, giving attendees the opportunity to connect with the creatives behind the collections and experience African fashion beyond the catwalk.

‎The ambition is to create a celebration where the fashion is not simply watched, but experienced. From the collections and personal style to the music, atmosphere and people in the room, the festival will bring together the different elements that make fashion such a powerful part of contemporary African culture.

‎AFWN 2026 will also build towards the weekend with a full programme of activities beginning December 7. The opening day will feature a press conference and the formal opening of the AFWN creative hub at 9 Fola Osibo, Lekki. A fashion and music business workshop follows on December 8, alongside a free Adire training workshop for young people on December 9 and a creator workshop and AFWN influencer collective brunch on December 10. Designers will prepare for the runway through fittings on December 11.

The programme reflects AFWN’s wider ambition to create a platform that connects fashion with business, cultural heritage, emerging talent and digital creativity.

At a time when African fashion is gaining greater international attention, the platform is bringing that conversation home to Lagos, creating opportunities for designers to present their work, engage audiences and participate in a broader celebration of African creativity.

‎For fashion enthusiasts, it means two days to discover designers, experience collections and celebrate personal style. For the city’s December crowd, it offers another reason to make room in the calendar for a fashion-led cultural experience.

AFWN 2026 takes place on December 12 and 13, 2026, with the catwalk and exhibition showcase at the J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History on Saturday, followed by the fashion festival and designer meet-and-greet at 9 Fola Osibo, Lekki, on Sunday.