Lagos has been ranked among the best cities in the world for nightlife, securing second place in Africa behind Cape Town, South Africa, according to a recent report by Time Out Magazine.

The international magazine revealed that 79 percent of Lagos residents interviewed gave positive reviews of the city’s nightlife. Lagos outperformed other major African cities, including Cairo, Egypt, and Marrakech, Morocco, which placed third and fourth respectively.

Time Out Magazine, a global media and entertainment brand known for curating the best experiences across cities worldwide, highlighted the city’s shift from exclusive lounges to more inclusive underground rave scenes such as SweatItOutLagos and Our Group Therapy.

Reacting to the ranking, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, described it as a testament to the improved security and safety across the state.

“This shows that the security architecture put in place by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is working,” Omotoso said.

“It speaks to the number of tourists who pour into Lagos daily and the success of the last ‘Detty December’.”

The Sanwo-Olu administration is also taking steps to formalize the city’s tourism calendar, especially for events in the last quarter of the year. This year, Lagos is set to make history as the first African city to host the EI (Water Race) Championship.

Additionally, the African Union has selected Lagos as the host city for the African Music Awards, scheduled to take place from November 25 to 30.

End-of-year festivities, popularly known as Detty December, continue to have a significant positive impact on Lagos’ socio-economic landscape, attracting tourists and boosting local businesses.

According to Time Out Magazine, “Nightlife takes on lots of different forms, and cities all over the world have adapted to our changing habits when it comes to going out. To uncover which cities are the best of the best for nightlife in 2025, we quizzed thousands of city-dwellers and consulted a panel of experts to curate a list of the planet’s best nightlife cities.”