Grammy-Winning singer Tyla Removes Nigeria From World Tour Schedule Amid Boycott Calls
South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla has removed Lagos, Nigeria, from the itinerary of her upcoming A*POP World Tour, days after announcing the city as one of the African stops on her first full headline world tour.
The Lagos concert, initially scheduled for December 22, 2026, was announced on July 27 as part of a 34-date tour supporting Tyla’s second studio album, APOP. The tour was originally set to cover Europe, North America and Africa, with Lagos positioned between the North American leg and concerts in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
The decision follows growing criticism on Nigerian social media, with some Nigerians calling for a boycott of the concert amid renewed concerns over alleged xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa.
The controversy has placed the South African artist at the centre of a broader diplomatic and social debate between Nigerians and South Africans. Calls for a boycott intensified shortly after the tour announcement, with reactions online questioning whether Nigerian audiences should support a South African artist while Nigerians continue to raise concerns about hostility and attacks against their compatriots in South Africa.
Tyla has not publicly stated that the Lagos cancellation was directly caused by the boycott campaign, and reports have not identified an official explanation from the singer or her management for the removal. The change was, however, reported after the online backlash.
The original tour schedule described the Lagos performance as Tyla’s first African stop, followed by Cape Town on January 4, 2027, and Johannesburg on January 9, where the tour was expected to conclude.
Tyla, whose international breakthrough came with the global success of her song Water, has become one of Africa’s most prominent contemporary pop stars. She won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance for the song in 2024 and has continued expanding her international audience.
The removal of Lagos comes shortly after the release of APOP* on July 24 and the announcement of what is being described as her most extensive headline tour to date.
