Lagos Countdown
| The Lagos Countdown | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | New Year's Eve event |
| Date(s) | December 31 |
| Frequency | Yearly |
| Location(s) | Barbeach, Victoria Island, Lagos |
| Inaugurated | 2012 |
| Founder | Governor Babatunde Fashola |
| Most recent | 2013 |
| Next event | 2014 |
| Organised by | Lagos State Signage & Advertisement Agency (LASAA) |
| Website | |
| www.lagoscountdown.com | |
The Lagos Countdown is an annual New Year's Eve event at the Bar Beach in Lagos.[1][2] The event lasts for 21-23 days and traditionally begins on the 7th or 8th of December and lasts through January 1st of the new year.[3] The first Lagos Countdown was held in 2012 as an attempt to drive up tourism and make an event similar to New Year's events in New York, Sydney, and other major cities,[4] and in 2013 an estimated 200,000 people celebrated the event during a ten day period and earned the city about one billion naira.[5]
Festivities for the countdown typically include fireworks, live music concerts, and karaoke.[6][7] Performers at various countdowns have included Tuface Idibia, Olamide, and Funke Akindele,[7][3] and previous countdown sponsors have included Airtel Nigeria.[8]
The 2013 Lagos Countdown was met with criticism from some participants as ticket distribution was held differently from the 2012 event, as tickets were not free and required that many participants purchase their own tickets via scalpers or to acquire tickets via Countdown sponsors.[9] When asked about this, the corporate affairs manager of LASAA responded that while tickets were not intended to have been sold, the different distribution tactics were enacted as a form of crowd control and to avoid potential issues due to overcrowded space.[9]
See also
References
- ↑ "LASAA unveils plan for 2013 Lagos countdown". Daily Independent. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ↑ "Dangote, Zenith Bank, NB, Others Throw Weight Behind Lagos Countdown 2013". This Day Live. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Akinsanmi, Gboyega. "Lagos Countdown to 2014 Begins December 7". This Day Live. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ↑ "Lagos Festival: UK fireworks experts arrive". The Nations. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ↑ Obi, Daniel. "Lagos economy earns N1bn from 2012 countdown event". Business Day Online. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ↑ "Tuface, Omawunmi for Lagos Countdown". Punch Nigeria. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Banah, Namang. "2face, Olamide, Wizkid, Iyanya, M.I, Ice Prince, Daddy Showkey, More". Pulse. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ↑ "Airtel backs Lagos Countdown Festival". Vanguard Nigeria. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 OKULAJA, AYO. "How Lagos Countdown 2013 Was A Let Down". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 21 December 2014.