The Story ⚡
Entertainment Week Africa is going big for its fifth birthday.
The pan-African creative-economy platform will return to Lagos from 17 to 22 November, gathering creators, founders, investors, commissioners, buyers, distributors, policymakers, platforms, brands and cultural leaders under the banner “Five Years of Closing the Gap.”
The 2026 slate: seven tracks, one economy
Programming will run across Film & TV, Music, Fashion & Beauty, AI & Tech, Art & Animation, Live Events & Production, and Creative Enterprise. Each is built to deliver real outcomes, from pitch opportunities and closed-door industry sessions to talent development and commercial pathways.
Why it matters: Placing AI & Tech and Creative Enterprise alongside the screen, stage and studio tracks treats technology and business as part of the creative economy rather than side topics. It also means a filmmaker, a fashion label and a live-events producer can find the same buyers, platforms and investors in one place.
The business formats are expanding too: the EWA Deal Room, Content Market, Music Market, EWA Capital Desk, Creators Hub and LABSPOT. The edition will also put a sharper focus on capital access, market access and post-event follow-through.
Why it matters: Conferences are easy to attend and hard to turn into results. Follow-through is the difference between a good week and a signed deal, and it is where EWA says it will concentrate in 2026.
On screen: University of Side Hustle premieres
The week will feature the world premiere of University of Side Hustle, the first scripted feature film from Livespot Studios.
Why it matters: Livespot360, the company that produces EWA, builds content as well as venues and experiences. Premiering its first scripted feature inside the event puts the platform’s own work in front of the buyers, distributors and commissioners it convenes.
The Numbers
EWA has drawn more than 67,800 cumulative attendees across its first four editions. The 2025 edition alone delivered:
- 28,683 pass-holders, with participants from 50+ industries
- 61 sessions, 93 film screenings, 20 music showcases and 9 fashion showcases
- 5M+ online engagements and 800M+ digital reach and impressions across Africa, Asia, North America and Europe
Deal Room: where the pitch gets tested
The EWA Deal Room has become the platform’s strongest commercial engine. Last year, 178+ companies applied, nine advanced to the accelerator programme, and four drew live investor interest in the room. Participants included Aktivate, FriendnPal, Growwr and Sports Reels, with Future Africa, Catalyst Fund, Consonance Invest and Askya Investment Partners among the investor and ecosystem partners.
For 2026, EWA is building more intentional pathways between creatives, founders, investors, commissioners, buyers, distributors, platforms and institutions.
Taking the show on the road
EWA’s global extension, Creative Connect, has already put the brand in front of the world’s creative and business capitals. This year it launched in Los Angeles during Grammy Week, convening senior executives and stakeholders from Warner Records, Adobe, Amazon, Dramabox, Afrexim and Unilever. It then moved to London during the Nigeria–UK state visit, drawing the British Film Institute, Diageo, NBO Capital, the Ministry of Trade and Investment, global brands and senior diplomatic figures.
Registration Details
EWA 2026 runs 17–22 November in Lagos. Registration and speaker submissions: ewafrica.com.
In Summary
Africa’s creative economy needs less applause and more deals. EWA has grown from a major cultural gathering into a structured marketplace, and the anniversary edition is set to move it beyond visibility into value, ownership and deal flow.
Talent has never been the shortage. The gap EWA was built to close is the one between that talent and the capital, distribution, skills and infrastructure needed to turn it into lasting businesses. At five years, the platform is putting that mission to work in one room, in one week, with the people who can act on it.
