Landmark Africa has revealed plans for a 20,000-capacity indoor arena in Lagos, Nigeria.
Business of Sports Africa said the Dream Theatre Entertainment Centre, which would be the largest arena in Nigeria, will anchor more than 70,000 sqm of mixed-use development.
The project is currently at the pre-development stage and Landmark has not disclosed a site, a budget, a delivery date, or a project team.
It said, however, according to Estate Intel a research platform that tracks real estate and infrastructure projects across African markets, that the Dream Theatre Entertainment Centre would deliver live entertainment, sporting events, retail and leisure, with beach and recreational facilities built around the arena bowl.
Business of Sports Africa further stated that the question isn’t about construction but who fills 20,000 seats and how often.
Nigeria’s domestic basketball, boxing and combat sports have not sold 20,000 indoor tickets in recent history, and the Basketball Africa League routes through Kigali, Dakar and Cairo on a handful of dates a year. That leaves touring music and business events carrying almost the entire calendar.
Landmark comes to the arena with a specific history. In April 2024 the federal government demolished a large part of Landmark Beach in Victoria Island on seven days’ notice, clearing right of way for the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway.
Chief executive Paul Onwuanibe has said the group bought the land from government for $17m in 2006 and borrowed $30m to develop it, that the site drew 3.5 million visitors a year and hosted 60 on-site businesses, and that there has been no compensation.
Competitive environment
Nigeria’s stadium and arena landscape has been increased over the last few years, with Estate Intel counting more than 30,000 new arena seats and over 110,000 stadium seats due by 2028.
Top of the list is the under-construction Lagos Arena at Oniru, a $100 million public-private vehicle led by Persianas Group, with the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority holding 40.5% alongside Live Nation, Oak View Group, Yinka Folawiyo Group, Adino Capital and MBO.
The venue will be located on Victoria Island, an affluent area that serves as the main business and financial centre of Lagos.
The arena is currently at piling stage, with completion now pushed from an initial opening date of December 20225 to December 2027.
With aspirations to host more than 200 events each year, the arena is positioned to emerge as Africa’s leading destination for live entertainment and as such, it will offer a dedicated space for entertainment and creates exciting opportunities for both local and international artists.
Furthermore, it will usher a significant time in the country’s music industry and overall entertainment landscape thereby catalysing the continued expansion of Nigeria’s thriving music, sports, and entertainment sector.
Additionally, the Lagos Arena at Oniru will develop ancillary businesses around entertainment and sports as it is expected to create over 1,500 direct and indirect jobs.
Abuja City Walk’s 13,000-seat arena and the 4,500-seat Mefa Abuja Concert Arena follow, with the Bank of Industry and IFC still scoping a conference and exhibition complex in the capital.
Lagos’s largest indoor room today is currently the 6,000-capacity Eko Convention Centre.
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