Nollywood has broken the Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening after more than 51,000 people gathered at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos to watch the crime thriller Black Market. The record was confirmed by a Guinness World Records official on Saturday night.
FilmOne, the film’s distributor, also announced the achievement on its social media platforms. “51,000+ people. One screen. One moment that just made history,” the company said. “We’ve officially set a WORLD RECORD for the Largest Audience Gathering Ever for a Movie Screening. Nigeria, we didn’t just watch a movie. WE MADE HISTORY”.
The previous record was 43,624 people at a screening of the Philippine film Felix Manalo in 2015. Although Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat said about 64,000 people attended the event, Guinness recognised 51,000 viewers who stayed from the beginning of the film to the end. The turnout also surpassed the 50,000-person target set by the filmmakers when they announced the record attempt.
A Historic Night at TBS
Film lovers began arriving at Tafawa Balewa Square in the afternoon. The gates opened at about 2pm, but queues grew as more people made their way into the venue. At one point, a line stretched towards the TBS roundabout. A red-carpet session began at about 3pm, and music, food and games were part of the programme ahead of the screening, which had been scheduled for between 7pm and 8.30pm. The announcement of the record triggered celebrations at the venue, with cheers and fireworks as the crowd marked the achievement.
Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat arrived at about 8.50pm. Actor Gabriel Afolayan, actress Tomi Ojo and comedian Real Warri Pikin were among the personalities spotted at the event. Other attendees included actors Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Stan Nze, Linda Ejiofor and filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, alongside Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Toke Benson.
About the Film
Black Market follows five market women caught up in a cross-border smuggling operation during a period of fuel scarcity and economic pressure. Their situation becomes more dangerous when the daughter of one of the women is kidnapped. The film was directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and produced by Nora Awolowo. The cast includes Omowunmi Dada, Lateef Adedimeji, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Ibrahim Yekini, popularly known as Itele D Icon, and Uzor Arukwe. It was produced by Rixel Studios, Signet Ring Studios and FilmOne Studios, with FilmOne handling distribution.
Actress and producer Omowunmi Dada, whose Signet Ring Studios worked on the film, said she wanted the screening to bring back the experience of watching a Nigerian film with friends, relatives and neighbours. The record-breaking screening was supported by the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, alongside several corporate partners.
The feat adds another major milestone to Nollywood’s growing global profile, bringing more than 50,000 viewers together at one venue for a Nigerian film.
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