TheatreMania Africa Festival Returns to Lagos This October

TheatreMania Africa Festival (TAF) is set to return to Lagos from October 14 to 17, 2025, with the theme “Beyond Borders: Celebrating the Global Reach of African Theatre.”

Now in its latest edition, TAF has grown into a continent-wide celebration of African theatre. The 2025 festival will hold across two venues—Shodex Gardens in Ilupeju and Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja—and is expected to attract theatre lovers, performers, and stakeholders from across Africa and beyond.

Speaking ahead of the festival, Alayande Stephen T., Co-Founder and CEO of TheatreMania Africa, said the theme reflects African theatre’s growing global resonance. “The ‘Beyond Borders’ theme is more than a catchphrase. It affirms the universal appeal of African stories and their power to spark cross-cultural conversations,” he said.

For four days, the  festival will feature a range of performances and industry-focused events, including Thespian Nite, Street Theatre, Stakeholders Roundtable,  and Generation Next Theatre for Secondary Schools. Each segment is designed to engage, educate, and expand access to theatrical expression across generations.

One of the unique components of TAF 2025 is “The Metallic,” a theatre-meets-fashion showcase that merges performance art with contemporary African fashion. This year’s programme also includes advocacy efforts such as “Africa Rise Against Malaria (ARAM),” which uses theatre to raise awareness about malaria on the continent.

The festival’s closing night will feature the prestigious TAF Awards, honouring outstanding work in African theatre. Veteran actor Norbert Young is chairing the jury for the 2025 edition. Two headline plays, “Grain in the Wind” and “Whispers,” will be staged during the awards night as part of a Command Performance.

Additional highlights include a panel session under the Stakeholders Roundtable, bringing together actors, students, academics, and policymakers to discuss the future of African theatre and cross-border collaboration.

Founded as a pan-African platform to elevate indigenous storytelling, TheatreMania Africa Festival also serves as a reward system for stage actors and other creative professionals. The festival uses performance forms like drama, chants, songs, and poetry to positively represent African narratives and foster creative exchange.

Call for entries for the 2025 TAF Awards is currently open until August 30 via the festival’s website.