History-making British-Nigerian rapper, producer, and songwriter Dave, also known as Santan Dave, will headline his first-ever shows in Nigeria on October 16 and 17 at Lagos’ Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (formerly the National Theatre), bringing his acclaimed The Boy Who Played the Harp tour to a close.
Presented by Live Nation and MASSIVE, the highly anticipated performances represent a significant moment for both Dave and Nigerian audiences. Long celebrated for its unmatched energy, creativity, and influence across music, fashion, nightlife, and art, Lagos continues to shape global culture through the worldwide impact of Afrobeats and a new generation of African creatives redefining entertainment on a global stage.
The shows bring one of the most important voices in contemporary British music to one of Africa’s most culturally influential cities.
The announcement also comes during a significant cultural moment for the city, following the reopening and renewed spotlight on the iconic Wole Soyinka Center for Culture and Creative Arts (formerly and commonly known as the National Theatre) in Lagos, a historic symbol of Nigeria’s artistic heritage and an important marker of the city’s evolving live entertainment landscape.
The performances further reinforce Lagos’ growing position as a global destination for music, entertainment, and large-scale cultural experiences.
The Lagos dates will serve as the closing shows of his global ‘The Boy Who Played the Harp‘ tour, which has included major stops across Europe and North America, as well as previously announced dates in South Africa, including a sold-out show at Grand Arena in Cape Town on October 6.
For the British-Nigerian artist, whose parents are Nigerian, the performances also carry a deeper cultural significance. At just 27 years old, Dave has become one of the most influential artists of his generation and recently made history as the first and only UK rap artist to debut three consecutive studio albums at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. With multiple BRIT Awards, an Ivor Novello Award, critically acclaimed projects, and sold-out shows around the world, he continues to connect with audiences across continents.
TICKETS:
Tickets will be available starting with the Artist Presale beginning on Monday, 8th June at 10 am local time. The general on-sale will begin on Tuesday, 9th June at 10 am local time exclusively via SANTANDAVE.COM.
PRESALE:
To participate in the artist presale on Monday, June 8, at 10 am local time,e you must sign up here.
The Boy Who Played The Harp Tour Dates:
Wed Jun 18 – Brisbane, AU – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Fri Jun 20 – Sydney, AU – Qudos Bank Arena
Mon Jun 23 – Melbourne, AU – Rod Laver Arena
Fri Jun 27 – Perth, AU – RAC Arena
Thu Aug 07 – Skanderborg, DK – Smukfest
Fri Aug 29 – Reading, UK – Reading Festival
Sat Aug 30 – Leeds, UK – Leeds Festival
Fri Oct 03 – Pretoria, ZA – SunBet Arena
Mon Oct 06 – Cape Town, ZA – Grand Arena
Fri Oct 16 – Lagos, Nigeria – Wole Soyinka Center for Culture and Creative Arts NEW DATE
Sat Oct 17 – Lagos, Nigeria – Wole Soyinka Center for Culture and Creative Arts NEW DATE
About Dave:
The meteoric rise of the multi-award-winning musician Dave has been characterised by a series of boundary-breaking moments in his career. From becoming the youngest recipient of an Ivor Novello award in 2017, to earning the first No.1 by a sole writer and producer in 8 years in 2022 with ‘Starlight.’ Dave has continuously redefined what it means to be both a British rapper and a contemporary musician today.
On 24 October 2025, Dave released his third studio album, The Boy Who Played the Harp, to critical acclaim. With Dave’s previous albums both reaching No.1, alongside four No.1 singles to date (‘Funky Friday’, ‘Starlight’, ‘Sprinter’ and now ‘Raindance’ taken from TBWPTH), the 27-year-old has forged his own lane, where “better†is subjective and excellence is a pre-requisite for a starting point and every bar, rhyme, verse and chorus he constructs occupies its own place in his very own pantheon and a standard that has remained since his early YouTube freestyles at 16.
Few artists can harness that early promise and deliver upon expectations with their debut body of work as Dave did in 2019 with Psychodrama (578,942 UK Albums sold), hitting that rare combination of critically acclaimed and commercially successful album that few artists ever reach, as one of only two albums to ever win Best Album at The BRITS & Mercury’s. The album also coincided with Dave’s powerful acting debut, joining the cast of 2019’s cult Netflix series Top Boy.
The record-breaking release of We’re All Alone In This Together (July 2021) established Dave as one of the most exciting artists of our time. At the time of release, it became the biggest first week UK sales across all genres for 2 years (74,000+) and the biggest UK Rap record in over a decade.
Surpassing all his peers, it spent 2 weeks at #1, a feat only matched by Olivia Rodrigo & Drake that calendar year, achieving Gold Status (100,000 sales) within 3 weeks, and is now his second Platinum album (483,137 UK albums sold).
The title, taken from a conversation between himself & Hans Zimmer, encapsulates the themes of migration & heritage alongside his mother’s own story. With star-turns from Wizkid, Snoh Aalegra, BOJ & Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya, the album shot to #1 with first single ‘Clash’, a Stormzy-featuring behemoth peaking at #2 and becoming one of the anthems to a lockdown-lifted Summer.
With this peerless trajectory, The Boy Who Played the Harp marks a new chapter for the hitmaker, while continuing to redefine contemporary music and reaffirming that Dave is always in a league of his own.
Media Contacts:
Dave
Carl Fysh | Carl.Fysh@s-414.com
Live Nation Concerts
Genesis Salazar
Sponsored Content
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