Tyla Removes Nigeria Concert From World Tour Amid South Africa–Nigeria Tensions Over Anti-illegal Migration Protests
South African singer Tyla has removed a planned Lagos concert from her upcoming world tour amid rising tensions between South Africa and Nigeria over Anti-illegal migration protests.
The Grammy-winning artist, known for hits including “Water,” announced her A*POP World Tour earlier this week to promote her second album. The initial itinerary listed about 34 cities, including a December 22, 2026, stop in Lagos timed for Nigeria’s busy “Detty December” season, alongside later homecoming shows in Cape Town and Johannesburg. By Friday, the Lagos date had quietly disappeared from her official tour schedule, while other international and South African dates remained.
Neither Tyla nor her management has publicly explained the change. It followed days of online backlash in Nigeria, where many called for a boycott of the show. Critics pointed to recent reports of xenophobic attacks and Anti-illegal migration protests in South Africa targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians, and criticised the singer for not speaking out. An online petition urging that Tyla be barred from Nigeria until the protests stopped gathered thousands of signatures, and some public figures and influencers warned against the concert proceeding.
Relations between the two countries have strained over the issue. Protests in South Africa have blamed African migrants for crime, unemployment, and pressure on services; Nigeria has been particularly vocal, with high-level diplomatic contacts reported. The controversy also referenced earlier incidents and the reported death of a Nigerian national in Cape Town.
The removal leaves the rest of Tyla’s first major headline world tour intact. It highlights how longstanding bilateral frictions over migration and xenophobia continue to spill into the entertainment sphere across Africa.