Lagos is the most populous city in Nigeria so it’s only fair that is one of the best places to have fun in the country. After the crazy hustle during the week, what most Lagosians want to do is find a place to relax during the weekends. The most common ways to have fun have always been to go to clubs, watch movies in cinemas or go to the beach with family and friends. However, in recent times, Millennials and Generation Z are adopting new ways to have fun with their peers and colleagues. Here’s what fun looks like for young people today:
Sip and paint
Although sip and paint parties can be traced back to the 2000s with artists like Toulouse LaTrec, Jackson Pollock, or Diego Rivera who painted while they sipped fine wine and listened to great music, it has been slowly gaining popularity in the commercial city of Lagos and has become a great way to have fun and build connections. A sip and paint party is just as it sounds. A group of people come together, and each person is given a board and painting equipment while an instructor takes them through what to paint as they sip on their drinks which could range from alcoholic beverages to wine, cocktails, and mocktails. Apart from connecting with people, sip and paint events encourage an underappreciated part of Nigerian art, painting. According to Tochi, a sip and paint attendee; “The events are a brilliant work of art. While people have discovered their inner Picassos some of us just go there to catch cruise and have fun. What’s more, is that you get to take your paintings home. That’s more art for sitting room walls.”
Silent discos
Silent disco has become a fun way to hang out with your friends while still partly being in your own world. Here is a mental picture of what a silent disco looks like: Everyone is dancing, but you can’t hear any music. People are singing along but not to the same song. And half the crowd is jumping while the other half is swaying or swing dancing. It will probably look like a hot mess if you are stepping into the scene for the first time but once you settle in you begin to get into the mood and fit into the crowd. Here is the thing though, silent discos are not for everybody. While extroverts might find it boring, introverts or ambiverts might find it rather interesting. Ebube, a lover of silent discos said: “I find them very interesting. It gives me an opportunity to go out with my friends yet be in control of my own music. The feeling of dancing to different rhythms in the same space is funny yet surreal.”
Pop up music events/Fashion shows
Pop-up events are becoming widespread these days. Jameson’s held the 7th Jameson connects and it housed an array of different young people and whisky lovers from all over the country. Another good example is the upcoming Lagos Fashion week and shows like Food Fest. Back in the day, these kinds of shows mostly consisted of the elite class and people in the industry but these days young people are taking a liking to these events made especially for building connections.
House parties
As opposed to renting a large space to throw a party and spending a lot of money, all you really need these days is your small apartment, few friends, alcohol and you are on the way to having the most fun of your life. Different games are played at these house parties from card games to drinking games and enlightening games.
