Detty December, sorted.

What is Detty December?

Detty December is Nigeria’s festive season at full volume. Through December, and especially in Lagos, the calendar fills with concerts, parties, beach days, weddings and family celebrations. Nigerians abroad fly home for the holidays, artists play their biggest shows of the year, and the social calendar barely stops until the new year.

“Detty” is Nigerian Pidgin for “dirty”. Here it means going hard: a month of plans, back to back.

When it happens

Things build from early December as schools and offices wind down and travellers land. The busiest stretch runs from the week before Christmas to New Year’s Day.

• Mid-December: end-of-year parties, early concerts and the first homecomings.
• Christmas to New Year: the peak. Concerts, day parties and beach days most days, and the busiest roads of the year.
• 31 December: crossover services and countdown parties.
• Early January: the last parties before everyone heads back.

What’s on

Concerts

Afrobeats, amapiano, gospel and alté artists headline December shows, and the biggest names tend to play Lagos between Christmas and New Year. These sell out first, so book as soon as tickets drop.

Day parties and beach days

Afternoon parties, pool parties and beach days along the Lekki coast, often starting in the afternoon and running into the night.

Owambes and weddings

December is wedding season. Expect aso ebi, live bands and parties that go on long after the ceremony.

Comedy, art and pop-ups

Christmas comedy specials, art shows, markets, fashion pop-ups and food festivals fill the days between the big nights.

Crossover night

On 31 December, churches hold crossover services and venues run countdown parties into the new year.

Carnivals and festivals

Beyond the cities on EventYard, the Calabar Carnival in Cross River draws visitors every December, and towns across the South East host cultural festivals and masquerades.

Where to go

Lagos

The centre of it all. Victoria Island, Lekki and Ikoyi for clubs, lounges and rooftops, the Lekki coast for beach days, and Ikeja for Mainland concerts and late nights.

Abuja

Lounges in Wuse 2 and Maitama, end-of-year concerts and comedy, and calmer roads than Lagos.

Enugu

The South East’s Christmas homecoming. The Coal City fills with concerts, comedy shows, carnivals and family celebrations.

Ibadan

Weddings, owambes and end-of-year parties, done the Ibadan way.

Plan it like a pro

1. Book early. Early-bird tickets sell out first and prices climb as the date gets closer, so book as soon as tickets drop.
2. Set a budget. Tickets, rides, food and drinks all cost more in December. Decide what you’ll spend before the month starts.
3. Plan for traffic. Third Mainland Bridge, the Lekki–Epe Expressway and Victoria Island jam for most of the season. Leave early and keep each night to one area.
4. Read the details. Check the start time, dress code, age limit and what each ticket tier includes before you pay.
5. Have your ticket ready. Your QR code is in My tickets. Open it before you leave, since venues can be short on signal, and keep your phone charged.
6. Get home safe. Agree on rides with your group, expect ride-hailing prices to surge late at night and keep your phone charged.

Hosting in December

December is the busiest month of the year for hosts, and the competition for weekends is real.

• List early. People plan their December in November. The earlier your event is up, the more people can plan around it.
• Start with early bird. A cheaper first ticket type with a small quantity builds momentum and shows you how demand looks.
• Set limits. Cap each tier so you never sell more tickets or tables than the venue holds.
• Plan the door. Add check-in staff, and turn on offline check-in so scanning keeps working if the venue’s network drops. Prepare each door phone while it’s online.
• Get verified early. Paid tickets need a verified bank account in your name, so do it before your launch day.
• Know your fees. Buyers pay the payment processing fee at checkout, and you choose who covers the EventYard fee. See EventYard fees.

Create your event

Detty December questions