Tyla drops lagos concert from 2026 world tour after xenophobia backlash

South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla has removed Lagos from the itinerary of her upcoming APop World Tour, days after facing criticism from some Nigerians over renewed reports of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians living in South Africa.

When the tour dates were announced on Monday, Lagos was included as one of the scheduled stops, with the Nigerian concert set for December 22. The tour also features performances across Europe, North America and South Africa.

However, the planned Lagos show quickly became a topic of debate on social media, where some Nigerians questioned the decision to welcome the singer while reports of fresh xenophobic incidents in South Africa continue to circulate.

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The development reignited longstanding tensions between Nigeria and South Africa, with some users calling for the concert to be boycotted. Others, however, argued that musicians should not be blamed for political or social issues between countries and insisted that entertainment should remain separate from diplomatic disputes.

Several prominent voices also joined the conversation. Media personality Do2dtun questioned the organisers behind the proposed Lagos concert, while activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore urged Nigerians to direct their anger toward political leaders rather than the artiste.

Neither Tyla nor her management has publicly commented on the controversy.

However, according to checks by Vanguard, show that Lagos has since been removed from the list of tour stops on the official ticketing platform. The December 22 concert in Nigeria no longer appears on the updated schedule.

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The revised itinerary now includes the remaining international dates across Europe and North America, as well as two South African performances in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9.

It remains unclear whether the Lagos concert has been permanently cancelled or could be rescheduled for a later date, as no official explanation has been provided.