Five years ago, Entertainment Week Africa was a strictly Lagos affair. Now it’s the closest thing the continent’s creative scene has to a family reunion with a business agenda, and the guest list for the anniversary edition says it all: delegations from 18-plus African countries, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa and more, with a solid 30 to 40 percent of everyone flying in from outside Nigeria. The theme this year is “Closing the Gap,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like: African creatives have never had trouble making the world look, the trick is making the world pay, and pay us properly. That’s the dilemma EWA says it’s here to remedy.

And the turnout backs up the talk. More than 67,800 of us have come out across EWA’s first four editions, with 2025 alone drawing 28,683 pass-holders from 8-plus countries and 50-plus industries, filling 61 sessions, 93 film screenings, 20 music showcases and 9 fashion showcases, everything snowballing into 5 million-plus online engagements and 800 million-plus in reach across four continents. Not bad for a $59 billion economy the rest of the world still likes to call up-and-coming.

The week runs across seven tracks, Film & TV, Music, Fashion & Beauty, AI & Tech, Art & Animation, Live Events & Production, and Creative Enterprise, and not one of them is there just to fill a panel slot. Every track is set up so you leave with something to show for it, whether that’s a pitch that got heard, a deal signed, or a buyer’s number saved in your phone. This year leans even harder into the business of it all, with the EWA Deal Room, the Content and Music Markets, the Capital Desk, the Creators Hub, and LABSPOT, the engine that puts film and music sellers face to face with buyers, distributors and investors. Also on the bill: the world premiere of University of Side Hustle, the first scripted feature from Livespot Studios.

And if that all sounds like big talk, not to worry, because last year already made good on plenty of it. The 2025 Deal Room pulled 178-plus entries, fast-tracked 9 companies into its accelerator, and sent four, Aktivate, FriendnPal, Growwr and Sports Reels, off with live investor interest, backed by the likes of Future Africa, Catalyst Fund, Consonance Invest and Askya Investment Partners. EWA’s been working its passport too, taking EWA Creative Connect to Los Angeles during Grammy Week and to London during the Nigeria-UK state visit, where it gathered the who’s who of Warner Records, Adobe, Amazon, Afrexim, Unilever, the British Film Institute and Diageo.

For Deola Art Alade, EWA’s Convener and Group CEO of Livespot, the five-year milestone is proof the mission was right all along: “As we mark five years of EWA, this moment is deeply significant. EWA started with a simple but urgent belief: African creativity deserves stronger platforms, better access and greater value. Today, the work is no longer just about convening the industry; it is about building the systems that help talent meet capital, ideas meet opportunity, and culture become long-term economic power. EWA 2026 is our boldest expression of that mission.”

Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Darey Art Alade sees the same horizon: “Entertainment Week Africa has always sat at the intersection of creativity, culture and opportunity. As EWA enters its fifth year, we are focused on creating an experience that is not only inspiring, but useful. The next generation of African creative talent needs access, learning, platforms, community and real pathways into work and enterprise. EWA 2026 is about building those bridges with intention.”

Registration and speaker submissions for EWA 2026 are open now. For the full program and to register, head to ewafrica.com. For updates, follow EWA on Instagram and X.

Written by: HQ