By Tess Ochu
The Lagos Fringe Festival is back, bringing six days of theatre, music, film and multidisciplinary performances to Lagos. Running from November 3 to 8, the 2026 edition promises a diverse programme of productions exploring themes of identity, grief, relationships, folklore, mental health and belonging.
With performances spread across the J. Randle Centre for Yorùbá Culture & History, Freedom Park and other festival venues, audiences can expect stories that challenge perspectives, provoke conversations and offer different interpretations of the human experience.
Whether you are drawn to thought-provoking drama, contemporary dance, musical theatre or comedy, this year’s programme offers something worth making time for. Here are 16 productions to watch at the Lagos Fringe Festival this weekend.
1. Tomorrow: A Realistic Drama on Sickle Cell Disease
Living with sickle cell disease comes with physical, emotional, and psychological challenges that often extend beyond what is visible. Tomorrow explores these realities through a dramatic portrayal of the experiences of people living with the condition. The production offers an opportunity to engage with a subject that deserves greater understanding and public conversation.
When: Friday, November 6, at 12:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday at 7:00 PM.
Where: Forum (Venue 2)
Tickets: Regular – ₦10,000 | VIP – ₦15,000 | Students – ₦5,000 (Friday only).
2. Cut Beneath the Silence
Cut Beneath the Silence follows a young woman attempting to rebuild her life following the death of her twin sister at 13 from complications associated with Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Through its exploration of loss, trauma, and the consequences of harmful cultural practices, the production brings attention to an issue that continues to affect women and girls. It is a story about grief, survival, and the difficult process of finding a way forward.
When: Saturday, November 7, at 2:00 PM; Sunday, November 8, at 4:00 PM.
Where: Forum (Venue 2)
Tickets: Regular – ₦10,000 | Students with ID – ₦7,500 | Group of five – ₦45,000.
3. Put It on My Head
How far would you go for an opportunity that could change your life? Put It on My Head examines the moral compromises people may make when faced with the prospect of a better future. At the centre of its story is a difficult choice involving trust, loyalty and personal ambition. The production places its audience in an uncomfortable position, asking what happens when the pursuit of opportunity comes at the expense of someone else’s trust.
When: Friday, November 6, at 7:00 PM.
Where: Forum (Venue 2)
Tickets: Regular – ₦20,000 | VIP – ₦35,000.
4. MENTALITY: What Don’t Men Say?
What happens to the emotions men are often discouraged from expressing? MENTALITY: What Don’t Men Say? explores men’s inner lives, examining the expectations, experiences, and unspoken feelings that shape how they navigate relationships and everyday life. The production creates room for conversations around masculinity, vulnerability, and emotional expression, looking beyond what men communicate to what they may struggle to articulate.
When: Saturday, November 7, at 3:00 PM.
Where: Ideas Lab (Venue 4)
Tickets: Regular – ₦10,000 | VIP – ₦25,000 | Students – ₦5,000.
5. My Room My Doom
A home is often considered a place of safety, privacy, and comfort. But what happens when the space meant to offer protection becomes a source of fear? My Room My Doom explores this unsettling contrast, examining the relationship between personal spaces and the experiences that can make them feel unsafe. Running across two days, the production offers a psychological exploration of fear and the unexpected ways familiar environments can become threatening.
When: Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, at 4:30 PM.
Where: Ideas Lab (Venue 4)
Tickets: Regular – ₦10,000 | VIP – ₦20,000 | Students – ₦5,000.
6. Ibi: The Unseen Evil
Not every threat is easy to recognise, and not every battle is fought against something visible. Ibi: The Unseen Evil takes on this idea, making it an intriguing addition to this year’s programme.
When: Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, at 4:30 PM.
Where: Collab (Venue 3)
Tickets: ₦10,000.
7. Marriage of Anansewa
Based on the celebrated play by Ghanaian playwright Efua Sutherland, Marriage of Anansewa brings African folklore and social commentary to the stage. The story follows a financially struggling widower who devises a scheme to marry his daughter off to wealthy chiefs in an attempt to escape poverty. However, his elaborate plan soon creates complications of its own. Blending humour with questions about marriage, money, and parental ambition, the production revisits a classic story through theatre.
When: Saturday, November 7, at 4:30 PM.
Where: Amphi Space (Venue 1)
Tickets: Adults – ₦5,000 | Students – ₦2,000.
8. There Is Rice at Home
The familiar phrase There Is Rice at Home takes on a different meaning in this musical theatre production. Beneath its seemingly playful title is a story that explores friendship, betrayal and grief with Death. Through its musical approach, the production promises to examine how people navigate loss, difficult choices, and the connections that shape their lives.
When: Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, at 5:30 PM.
Where: Forum (Venue 2)
Tickets: ₦10,000.
9. The Lottery Ticket
A sudden financial windfall can change more than someone’s bank balance; it can also reveal the values and intentions they have kept hidden. The Lottery Ticket is a dark comedy that explores what happens when unexpected wealth enters the picture, exposing greed, corruption and the fragility of human relationships. With humour at the centre of its storytelling, the production examines how quickly people’s attitudes can shift when money becomes involved.
When: Saturday, November 7, at 6:00 PM; Sunday, November 8, at 5:30 PM.
Where: Freedom Park (Venue 9)
Tickets: Regular – ₦7,000 | Students – ₦5,000.
10. Waiting with the Madi-Sons
Making a single appearance at this year’s festival, Waiting with the Madi-Sons is a musical stage production that gives audiences a limited opportunity to experience it. With only one scheduled showing, it is worth adding to the plans of festivalgoers interested in musical theatre and intimate stage productions.
When: Saturday, November 7, at 6:00 PM.
Where: Ideas Lab (Venue 4)
Tickets: ₦15,000.
11. Closure Is for Wigs
An invitation from an ex to celebrate a birthday might sound harmless, but Closure Is for Wigs suggests otherwise. The production follows a man who invites his former partner over under the pretence of a birthday celebration, setting the stage for an encounter that may have little to do with cake and celebrations. With relationships, unresolved feelings and awkward confrontations at its centre, this production brings a comic perspective to the complications of former relationships.
When: Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, at 6:00 PM.
Where: Restaurant Opposite the Ramp (Venue 5)
Tickets: Regular – ₦10,000 | VIP – ₦20,000.
12. Where Is My Groom?
Being left at the altar is already unpleasant. Having your groom explain his absence by claiming he fell asleep in his car makes the situation even more complicated. Where Is My Groom? Picks up after a wedding day gone wrong, following the emotional and humorous complications that emerge from an unexpected disappearance. The comedy-drama explores relationships, disappointment, and the unpredictable moments that can turn a celebration into a crisis.
When: Saturday, November 7, at 6:00 PM; Sunday, November 8, at 6:00 PM.
Where: Saturday – British Council (Venue 11); Sunday – Ideas Lab (Venue 4).
Tickets: Regular – ₦10,000 | VIP – ₦20,000.
13. Rite of Passage
A Nigerian man stranded on a train platform in the United Kingdom becomes the centre of Rite of Passage, a solo performance that explores immigration, identity and the realities of navigating life away from home. What begins as frustration gradually develops into a reflection on belonging, survival, and the challenges of finding one’s place in an unfamiliar environment. Through humour and vulnerability, the production examines the experiences that shape the immigrant journey.
When: Sunday, November 8, at 7:00 PM.
Where: J. Randle Centre for Yorùbá Culture & History.
Tickets: Regular – ₦30,000 | VIP – ₦60,000 | Group offer: Buy three, get one free (₦90,000).
14. Ijapa in Eko
Yoruba folklore’s famously cunning tortoise finds a new setting in Ijapa in Eko. Bringing the familiar trickster character into contemporary Lagos, the production explores how Ijapa’s cleverness, schemes, and street-smart instincts fit into the city’s distinctive rhythm. It offers a fresh theatrical take on traditional folklore, reimagining a familiar cultural character in a modern urban setting.
When: Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, at 7:00 PM.
Where: Freedom Park (Venue 9)
Tickets: Regular – ₦10,000 | VIP – ₦20,000.
15. Terrapolis
Choreographer Qudus Onikeku and the QDance Company bring Terrapolis to the Lagos Fringe Festival with a contemporary dance performance that explores movement as a form of theatrical expression. Known for his work at the intersection of dance and performance, Onikeku brings an established creative perspective to the production. For audiences interested in contemporary dance and experimental performance, Terrapolis is one production to watch this weekend.
When: Saturday, November 7, at 7:30 PM; Sunday, November 8, at 7:00 PM.
Where: Amphi Space (Venue 1)
Tickets: Regular – ₦10,000 | VIP – ₦50,000.
16. True Colours
Rounding off the list is True Colours, a production that examines identity, acceptance, and the courage to question established expectations. Its central themes invite audiences to reflect on the pressures of conformity and the importance of embracing individual differences. With its exploration of personal identity and the search for acceptance, the production offers an opportunity for reflection as the festival approaches its final day.
When: Sunday, November 8, at 5:00 PM.
Where: Amphi Space (Venue 1)
Tickets: Regular – ₦10,000 | VIP – ₦25,000.
Making the Most of Lagos Fringe 2026
From contemporary interpretations of Yoruba folklore to stories about immigration, mental health, relationships, and social realities, the 2026 Lagos Fringe Festival brings together different perspectives on what theatre can explore and communicate.
With productions taking place across multiple venues and time slots, festivalgoers have plenty to consider when planning their schedules. Whether you are a regular theatre enthusiast or looking to experience more of Lagos’ creative scene, this year’s programme offers an opportunity to discover new stories, encounter different forms of performance and engage with the city’s independent arts community.
