The Órüpézá Festival has announced its Freedom Party Week 2025, scheduled to hold from 28 September to 1 October at Freedom Park, Lagos.
Organisers say the festival, which drew over 15,000 participants in 2024, aims to reinforce Lagos’ position as a hub for cultural tourism by combining heritage with contemporary expression. This year’s edition is projected to attract more than 20,000 visitors, including international tourists.
Highlights of the programme will include cultural parades, fashion showcases, live concerts, film screenings, intellectual panels, and a curated marketplace featuring artisans and culinary innovators.
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Freedom Park—once a colonial prison and now a creative hub—has hosted the festival since inception. According to Theo Lawson, CEO of Freedom Park Lagos, the partnership symbolises transformation: “Órüpézá Festival embodies the very spirit of Freedom Park—transforming history into a gathering point for resilience, freedom, and identity.”
Festival Director, Edi Lawani, described the initiative as more than entertainment. “Órüpézá is not just a festival; it is a reclamation of narratives, an assertion that African culture is dynamic, youthful, and globally resonant. Freedom Party Week 2025 deepens that vision—inviting communities to celebrate, question, and reimagine culture together,” he said.
Beyond its artistic impact, the festival is seen as an opportunity for Lagos to advance cultural diplomacy and boost its economy through tourism.
As Nigeria seeks to strengthen its soft power globally, Órüpézá’s organisers argue that celebrating culture is also an investment in the country’s future.
