Wizkid Virisa Young

Six years after dropping his smash Made in Lagos LP, Wizkid is headed back home.

On Thursday (Aug. 13), Billboard can exclusively reveal that Grammy-winning Afrobeats superstar Wizkid will open Detty December Fest 2026 as the first confirmed headliner. The “Essence” singer will take the stage on Dec. 18, kicking off a two-week celebration of music, culture, food, fashion and entertainment that runs until Dec. 30.

Livespot360, the entertainment production company that brought Cardi B to the Motherland for her first performances in Nigeria and Ghana, will once again produce Detty December. Tickets are currently on sale at the festival’s official website.

Last year marked the official launch of Detty December Fest, which attracted more than 40,000 festivalgoers with a sizzling lineup of global and African music stars, including Busta Rhymes, Gunna, Shenseea, Tiwa Savage, Diamond Platnumz, Phyno, Wande Coal, Fave, Young John, Qing Madi, Ice Prince, Jurna Jux and Wizkid himself.

Wizkid’s return to the stage caps off a particularly quiet year for the hitmaker. In January, he linked up with Asake for their Real, Vol. 1 joint EP, and in the following months, he’s prioritized collaborations with stars across genres, including dancehall icon Vybz Kartel (“Stay for the Night”), UK R&B singer-songwriter Odeal (“Coca Body”) and English R&B-garage singer Jorja Smith (“Alive”).

After spending most of 2025 touring in support of his 2024 Morayo LP — which reached No. 4 on World Albums — Wizkid fired off a few more collaborations including “Dynamite” (with Tyla) and “Ginmme Dat” (with Ayra Starr), the latter of which earned a nomination for best African music performance at the 2026 Grammys. With fans eagerly anticipating his upcoming seventh studio album, Detty December Fest is the perfect homecoming for Wizkid.

Additional headliners are set to be revealed in the coming weeks, but the buzziest piece of Detty December Fest news is the addition of a second stage this year. Wizkid will open the fest’s flagship Festival Stage, while the Pulse Stage will serve as a dedicated platform for next-generation artists, emerging sounds and breakthrough talent who are helping define the future of African music.

“African music has never been more influential globally, and we believe our festivals should reflect that ambition,” says Livespot co-founder and chief creative officer Darey Art Alade. “The introduction of the Pulse Stage is particularly exciting because it gives the next generation of artists a platform to perform alongside some of the biggest names in music. That’s how ecosystems grow.”

Detty December Fest’s second annual stage also coincides with the increased virality of what is widely referred to as “Africa‘s Real Summer.” Not just a fast-growing cultural juggernaut, Detty December festivities generated an estimated ₦396.5 billion in consumer spending across Lagos, according to the MO Africa Company Detty December Report. Ahead of last year’s celebration, Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council established a presidential task force on Detty December to coordinate inter‑agency support and strengthen the country’s tourism during the festive season.

Check out the official announcement of Wizkid as this year’s Detty December Fest opening night headliner below.

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