South African pop star Tyla has removed the Lagos, Nigeria stop from her upcoming concert following backlash over South Africa’s anti-immigration movement.
The stop on the tour has been removed from the official tour website, but neither Tyla nor her team have released a statement on the issue.
Tyla announced the dates for her A*POP world tour on Monday as part of the promotion for her new album of the same name, which was released on 24 July.
The African leg of the tour initially included three dates across the continent.
She had planned to perform in Lagos, Nigeria, on 22 December, in the middle of the popular Detty December festive season.
The show would have marked Tyla’s first headline concert in Nigeria, despite having visited the country during Detty December in 2024, when she spent time with Rema, Ayra Starr and Tems.
During that visit, Tyla made an impromptu appearance on stage and later promised fans that she would return to Nigeria for a headline concert.
Following the announcement of the tour dates, many people online have taken issue with Tyla’s concert, calling it tone-deaf, according to the BBC Pidgin.
One of the key opponents is media personality Do2dtun, who said he would oppose anyone attending the concert. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he said the Grammy award-winning artist needed to take accountability.
He was not the only public figure to call for a boycott of the concert.
Social commentator Solomon Buchi also urged Nigerians to boycott the show as a protest against xenophobia in South Africa, according to the BBC.
Citing the mistreatment of immigrants in South Africa, he said he had expected Tyla to release a statement about South Africa’s Xenophobia.
The controversy comes months after a wave of xenophobic attacks and anti-immigration protests escalated in South Africa earlier this year.
Demonstrations led by groups demanding the removal of undocumented migrants were followed by reports of violence, intimidation and the displacement of foreign nationals, prompting condemnation from several African governments and human rights organisations.
The backlash also spilt into sport during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where many African fans publicly withdrew their traditional support for South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, instead backing their opponents in protest against the treatment of African migrants.
In recent years, Tyla has enjoyed international success, winning multiple awards in the Afrobeats category and two Grammys for Best African Music Performance, having claimed the prize for “Water” in 2024 and “Push 2 Start” in 2026.
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