Davido Talks Touring Experience and Lagos Venue Development

Davido Nigerian touring culture critique as Afrobeats star highlights structured North American tours and calls for improved live performance venues in Nigeria

David Adeleke, the Nigerian Afrobeats artist popularly known as Davido, reflected on the differences between international touring systems and Nigeria’s live music infrastructure during a media interaction, highlighting what he described as a significant gap in performance organisation at home compared to North America.

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Davido Nigerian touring culture critique centred on how Nigerian artists are increasingly accustomed to structured interstate tours abroad, particularly across cities in North America, while such coordinated touring frameworks remain limited within Nigeria’s domestic music scene.

The award-winning singer explained that Afrobeats performers now benefit from organised tour schedules overseas, allowing them to move from city to city in a structured manner, a system he said is still developing locally.

He stated that Nigerian artistes have historically not experienced full interstate touring within the country, despite their growing global appeal and commercial success.

“Nigerian artists have never really done a full interstate tour before, but we’ve toured all over North America,” he said.

Davido also spoke about live performance venues in Lagos, expressing fatigue over repeated appearances at the same major locations, particularly Eko Hotel and Suites, which frequently hosts large-scale concerts.

He noted that while the venue remains iconic, the repetition reflects the limited number of large-scale arenas available to artists at his level.

“I’m tired of performing at Eko Hotel… but I heard they’re already building an arena in Lagos,” he added.

The comment has reignited discussions within the entertainment industry about the need for more modern and larger-capacity venues in Nigeria, as Afrobeats continues to expand its global footprint.

Industry observers say the issue highlights a broader imbalance between the international success of Nigerian music and the domestic infrastructure supporting live events.

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Davido’s remarks underscore ongoing calls from artists and stakeholders for investment in purpose-built arenas that can support large-scale concerts and touring culture within the country.