Reviving Fela’s Spirit in Afrobeat Rebellion ExhibitionYinka Olatunbosun

An exhibition to explore the life, music, and legacy of the Afrobeat pioneer, pan-Africanist and activist, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti titled “Afrobeat Rebellion” is set to kick off on October 12th and run till December 28th, 2025, in Lagos.

Originally designed and presented by the Philharmonie de Paris, the Fela Anikulapo Kuti: Afrobeat Rebellion immersive exhibition is coming to Africa for the very first time. The project which is a collaborative project for A Whitespace Creative Arts (AWCA) Foundation, with the immense support of the French Embassy in Nigeria and the Kuti family, will reimagine and present the landmark exhibition at the EcoBank Pan African Centre in Lagos. The multi-week experience will invite Nigerians and international guests to explore Fela Kuti’s life, music career, and his enduring legacy.

Originally curated and staged at the Philharmonie de Paris (Cité de la Musique) from October 2022 to June 2023, Afrobeat Rebellion drew global audiences into the life and experiences of the Nigerian pioneer, taking visitors down the memory lane of his various achievements in the 20th century. The exhibits comprise archived pieces worn by the legend, unpublished photographs, stage costumes, and rare recordings. Each aspect at the Paris exhibition traced Fela’s journey as a revolutionary musician and political activist whose influence continues to inspire many artists and musicians alike across continents.

Speaking on the exhibition, Laurent Favier, the Consul-General of France said:
“Supporting the Afrobeat Rebellion in Lagos reflects our belief that culture is a bridge. It is a logical and welcome follow-up to the successful exhibition in Paris. This project is both a celebration of Franco-Nigerian collaboration and a cultural gift, honoring Fela’s legacy – who was very appreciated in France – while deepening the dialogue between our two nations.”

The Lagos edition, launching October 12, 2025, with a VIP opening, builds on Fela’s legacy with an expanded cultural programme designed to connect with diverse audiences, including Lagosians who lived through Fela’s era, younger generations newly discovering his impact, and international visitors drawn to his activism through his art. With the support of the French Embassy in Nigeria, Ecobank, and other partners, the exhibition underscores Fela’s significance as a musical icon and also as an activist, political voice, and cultural visionary.

Reimagined by A Whitespace Creative Arts (AWCA) Foundation and curated by June Creative Art Advisory (JCAA) Lagos in the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Lagos, Nigeria, the exhibition will feature multi-media touchpoints allowing for an authentic experience for all attendees through the following key programmes; Live Music Experience curated by Lanre Masha

Music plays a pivotal role in Fela’s existence and the tool through which he told his stories and advocated for Africans. Therefore, for the duration of the exhibition there will be select performances and private studio sessions from opening night with Ezra Collective and Seun Kuti, to performances by Femi and Made Kuti, and collaborations with contemporary artists and industry players, and producers like Sodi Marciszewer, Chike, A, YKB, and Vaedar, designed to inspire the younger audience to experiment with Fela’s work as an Afrobeat pioneer.

Sparking relevant conversations around Fela’s legacy and achievements, the session called The Talks will present leading voices from the arts such as Yeni Kuti, Prof. Oyeronke Oyewumi, Falana, Ade Bantu, Minna Salami, and Kadaria Ahmed who will delve into a broader conversation around his ethos and political and cultural stance in the 20th century, offering diverse perspectives from scholars, cultural commentators, curators, and artists alike. It will comprise a series of panels over the course of the exhibition including Kalakuta Cinema, a curated by S16 Collective christened after Fela’s self-declared Kalakuta Republic. Kalakuta Cinema is a film screening series inspired by Fela’s ethos and philosophies of resistance, political consciousness, African identity, and rebellion through art. The cinema will screen 7 films featuring classics like Music Is a Weapon, The Lost Okoroshi, Mami Wata, Timbuktu, and Finding Fela that embody these philosophies to provide a platform for engagement and discourse surrounding critical socio-political issues.

Also, Young Rebels Corner is an interactive creative space for children aged 6 to 15, designed to run alongside the exhibition. This space will offer school groups, families, and independent visitors a chance to creatively engage with Fela’s legacy through music, art, and storytelling with activities like the Rebel Scrapbook, Jam Station, and Anikulapo Design Workshop, building a new generation of rebels who understand creativity as power.

In addition, the exhibition’s programming will feature a range of interactive activities designed to engage artists of different disciplines and curators in Fela’s world and legacy to learn, teach, and inspire attendees and participants. Some of these experiences will include book reading with Karatu with titles such as Kalakuta Republic (Chimurenga) + select speeches, Dis Fela Sef! By Benson Idonije, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, and Arrest the Music by Tejumola Olaniyan; Manifesto – The Weapon of the Future; “Òrò Abamì” Spoken Word Competition and Dance From Freedom (movement workshops led by The Mud Art Company).

Onoshiokhue Ako, Project Lead, Culture Producer, AWCA expressed optimism towards this grand project.

“For us, Afrobeat Rebellion is more than an exhibition. It is a living season of culture. We designed it to bridge generations: from the children creating in the Young Rebels’ Corner to the elders who remember Fela firsthand, and everyone in between. Our programmes are grounded yet far-reaching, and Lagos deserves nothing less than a homecoming of this magnitude.”

Speaking on the essence of reimagining this exhibition and programming for Africans by Africans, the exhibition curator and founder of JCAA, Seun Alli, said, “Too often, Fela is reduced to a handful of catchphrases and uninformed stories – Zombie, Water No Get Enemy, the Kalakuta fire, marrying 27 women, or even the unfounded claim that he performed on stage in his underwear. Curating Afrobeat Rebellion in Lagos is a deliberate refusal of this flattening. It aims to reposition Fela not merely as a musician or rebel, but as a public intellectual whose music and philosophy are deeply intertwined with Africa’s social, political, and intellectual histories. His work was never just style or spectacle; it was a catalyst of revolt and hope, the soundtrack for those living under oppression, corruption, and the daily failures of power. Nearly three decades after his passing, it remains a profound mystery how Abami Eda’s philosophy continues to resonate so powerfully across all facets of our shared human experience.”

The Ecobank Pan African Centre has welcomed many events of this nature, heralding the promotion of African culture through various initiatives. Evidently, honoring the legacy of the pioneer is one that has been in the works for a significant period. Omoboye Odu, the Representative, Head of SMEs, Partnerships and Collaborations of the EPAC, speaks to their participation in this experience: “Hosting Afrobeat Rebellion at EPAC is a statement of pride in Africa’s creative power and resilience. F,ela’s legacy is Nigerian; it is African, and it belongs to the world. We are honored to provide the stage for this historic homecoming.”

For the Kuti family, this project is a timeless honour to the legacy of Fela. “Our father’s legacy has travelled the world, but Lagos was always its heartbeat. Afrobeat Rebellion brings things unseen, his music and everything Fela stood for to his people in Lagos. Not just to remember Fela, but to inspire a new generation to use art as resistance and freedom,” the family said in a statement.

The Fela Anikulapo Kuti: Afrobeat Rebellion Exhibition will shed light on Fela as a Nigerian, a revolutionary, and a man shaped by politics, family, fashion, and community. This exhibition will serve as a reminder of the past and a call to action for the new generation of artists and cultural curators to employ their art as a tool for change and political reform in this climate.

Running from October 12 till December 28, 2025 at Ecobank Pan African Centre, Lagos, general admission is free while cinema has limited access.