A Lagos rave rewrites the rules of nightlife, drawing young Nigerians priced out of club culture

A Lagos rave rewrites the rules of nightlife, drawing young Nigerians priced out of club culture Nightlife in Nigeria's economic capital Lagos can be very expensive with its table culture where revellers are divided into a multitier system and compelled to buy very expensive drinks By OPE ADETAYO Associated Press March 6, 2026, 12:22 AM LAGOS, Nigeria -- On a recent Friday night, thousands of mostly young people trooped into a large auditorium in Lekki, an upscale part of Lagos. Inside, it was hard to discern the faces of people just meters away. The whole hall was dark, lit only by flashing green strobe lights from the stage. Those gathered had come together for therapy. But this was Group Therapy, a popular rave in Lagos, where revelers come seeking a different party scene they wouldn't find anywhere in Nigeria's commercial heart of Lagos. Lagos’ nightlife scene had, for decades, been dominated by table culture, a club experience that prioritizes how much people spend on drinks and prime seating. The party environment encourages a competitive atmosphere that young people who live in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, say has shut them out amid skyrocketing inflation. At Group Therapy, there are no tables. Revelers in Lekki danced shoulder to shoulder. There was only one small bar, selling drinks for much less than the typical Lagos nightclub. “At raves, the dance floor is present. You go to a usual Lagos party, and there is no dance floor,” DJ Aniko, the founder of Group Therapy, told The Associated Press. “We barely have spaces to just dance, spaces you can just go to literally have a nice time. Most places you have to make a reservation, or book a table, it is a lot more complicated.” Yetunde Onikoyi, 28, started going to raves last year. “Ever since then, I have been hooked by the neck; it is like a chokehold. I always want to be here,” Onikoyi said. The nightclub culture has been determined by a table culture where partying is often a rat race of who buy...