Afrobeats Superstar Davido Announces Residency in Nigeria: ‘This One Is Very, Very Dear to Me’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Nigerian-American Afrobeats superstar Davido is set to bring his latest album, “Oriadé,” to the stage in Lagos, Nigeria for the first time with a three-night residency at the newly remodeled National Theatre from Dec. 17-19. The trio of shows are expected to highlight new material, with career-spanning hits and special guests each evening balancing out experiences.

The shows are some of the first-round entertainment moments for the mighty “Dirty December” festive period, which is a high economic traffic and creative season for the region. The announcement comes alongside a trailer [add link] for the shows and the new music video for single, “On the Road” which includes behind-the-scenes look at Davido’s life, including his buzzy Coachella debut earlier this year.

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For the 5-time Grammy nominee, the timing is especially meaningful as December brings an opportunity to reconnect with family, celebrate his roots and perform for the fans who have been part of his journey from the beginning.

“Any opportunity I grab to promote my culture, you know, I take it,” he tells Variety. “And this one is very, very dear to me because we’re doing it at home.”

That sense of homecoming extends to the venue itself. The National Theatre, formally known as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, reopened in Oct. 2025 following a years-long closure and a 68 billion naira ($50 million USD) renovation. Davido remembers its status as a benchmark for performers: “It’s like our own MSG,” he says.

The residency is proof of the rapidly advancing infrastructure and ecosystem for artists who are looking to invest time and finances into touring the region. Many artists whose careers have taken them around the world have expressed the need for venues that can support the shows that Davido plans to deliver.

“It’s not that we don’t want to do shows back home,” he says, explaining that reproducing an overseas production in Nigeria has not always been possible. Whether he is playing Croatia, Germany or Lagos, he wants fans to leave with the same feeling.

“The level of production, we try to make it the same,” he says. With the National Theatre back in operation, “I’m just happy that we’re going to be able to do more back home.”

Variety caught up with Davido to discuss the new residency, the reception for “Oriadé,” upcoming collaborations, his unofficial title as the ambassador to Afrobeats, and the growing scene of Nigerian artists bursting outside the confines of genre.

How are you feeling about the residency and your career?

Man it’s been a crazy past [few] months. [‘Oriadé’] has been doing crazy numbers. People are loving the records. It’s been exciting – definitely super pumped for the three-night residency that we have coming in December. And this one is very, very dear to me because we’re doing it at home during the festive period of Christmas with all the families together.

The new album is obviously going to be highlighted in the set list. But how are you going to balance the new music and classics, especially for some of your Lagos fans that haven’t seen you in years?

It depends on the show, the demographic of fans. I’m lucky to have a long-range demographic of young children and also the older folks. So I’m kind of lucky to have both people as fans. It’s going to be three nights of different kinds of music and surprises.

You have a collaboration with Kirk Franklin coming up. The step into faith-related music is certainly a notable one. How did that collaboration come about?

Man, shout-out Kirk. He’s such an amazing human being. We have a lot of mutual friends. I met him at the Grammys two years ago and since then we’ve had a great relationship. And I feel like when you’re collaborating musically, that relationship just needs to be natural. I don’t like it being forced. I come from a family – like my dad’s an elder in the church. So, we definitely were bumping Kirk Franklin when I was young. To grow up and be able to create music with him is just a great feeling. And he’s praising the Lord at the same time.

Kirk said that when he was interested incorporating Afrobeats, he looked up the top biggest five African songs at the time and your name was in the mix. How does it feel to still seen as that kind of connector?

Even before I decided [being a recording artist] is really what I wanted to do, even when I was in school, I was always playing African music for my American friends. How the narrative of being African has changed over the years is just crazy. I remember when some Africans used to be like, ‘oh, I’m Jamaican,’ just because they wouldn’t be laughed at. I’m telling you, for real. So, it’s just crazy how the culture has been accepted in the Western world. But that’s cool, but to me, that’s not where my head is at right now. I feel like now the vibe to me, where my head is at, is being at home and doing this at home. You feel me?

When you look at the current trends of sounds in Nigeria right now, a lot of the rising, developing underground talent are creating sounds that far outside of Afrobeats – like Zaylevelten and more. I’m really intrigued about what you think about this scene.

Zayleven – of course! People need to visit Lagos. First of all, Nigerians are so super talented. If you come to Nigeria, I’ll take you to a place that they only play jazz music. You would never ever think, like, ‘What? I’m in Africa? ‘You know what I’m saying? There’s so many other genres. Obviously, once you’re making music as an African, you’re classified as an Afrobeats artist, no matter what. Whether it’s R&B, whether it’s rap, whether it’s pop. You get what I’m saying? But I feel like there’s so much more to explore. And yes, Afrobeats is the term that’s been used but there’s so much more than what [mainstream Western audiences] are listening to.

You’ve been on a consistent album then touring cycle for the last five years. Do you see yourself taking any breaks?

I got [the energy] in me. I don’t think I’m slowing down for now. But I do love taking breaks, spending time with my family, my wife, my kids. I feel like it’s very, very important. You know, even mentally, physically on your body. I just did 62 shows last year, back to back. It takes a toll. We just moved into our new house in Atlanta. I’ve been getting that situated. And then we’re just getting ready for the festive period in December!