EWA AT 5: Entertainment Week Africa Unveils Expanded Pan-African Edition for 2026

Under the theme “Five Years of Closing the Gap,” EWA 2026 welcomes delegations from 18+ African countries and hosts the world premiere of University of Side  Hustle, the first scripted feature from Livespot Studios, as the platform evolves from cultural gathering into the marketplace where Africa’s creative economy does business. 

• Five years, one institution: EWA has convened 67,800+ cumulative attendees across its  first four editions, including 28,683 pass-holders in 2025, driving 5M+ online engagements and 800M+ digital reach and impressions last year. 
• A continental marketplace:The anniversary edition brings programming and delegations  from Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and more, targeting  18+ African countries, with 30–40% of delegates travelling from outside Nigeria. 
• The platform premieres its own IP: EWA 2026 will host the world premiere of  University of Side Hustle, the first scripted feature film from Livespot Studios. 
• Seven tracks: Art & Animation joins Film & TV, Music, Fashion & Beauty, AI & Tech, Live  Events & Production and Creative Enterprise. 
• A proven deal engine: the 2025 EWA Deal Room drew 178+ entries, advanced 9  companies to its accelerator, and saw 4 attract live investor interest in the room. 

Entertainment Week Africa (EWA) will return to Lagos from November 17 to 22, 2026 for its fifth anniversary edition, marking half a decade with its most ambitious chapter yet: an expanded pan-African edition built around deal flow,  capital access, talent development, intellectual property, and continental market access across  Africa’s creative economy. 

The anniversary edition runs under the theme “Five Years of Closing the Gap,” reflecting  EWA’s mission to convert African creative visibility into long-term value, ownership and opportunity. Five years in, EWA is evolving from a major cultural gathering into a structured creative-economy platform; the marketplace where talent, founders, investors,  commissioners, buyers, policymakers, platforms, brands and institutions meet to do business across a $59 billion creative economy. 

What began as a Lagos creative-industry event has grown into a pan-African platform connecting culture, capital, technology and global opportunity. Across its first four editions,  EWA has become an institution of 67,800+ cumulative attendees. The 2025 edition alone drew 28,683 pass-holders from 8+ countries and 50+ industries across 61 sessions, 93 film screenings, 20 music showcases, and 9 fashion showcases, generating 5M+ online engagements and 800M+ digital reach and impressions across Africa, Asia, North America, and Europe. 

A centrepiece of the 2026 edition will be the world premiere of University of Side Hustle, the first scripted feature film from Livespot Studios. The Lagos-set feature is written by Dami  Elebe, and executive produced by Deola Art-Alade, a statement of EWA’s evolution from convening the industry to producing the IP the industry exports. 

EWA 2026 will convene seven core tracks — Film & TV; Music; Fashion & Beauty; AI &  Tech; Art & Animation; Live Events & Production; and Creative Enterprise, with  Art & Animation joining as the newest vertical. Each track is designed not only as a content programme but as a platform for practical outcomes: pitch opportunities, closed-door industry sessions, talent development, market access, and post-event follow-through. 

The 2026 programme places a stronger emphasis on structured commercial formats,  anchored by the EWA Deal Room, its Content and Music Markets, the EWA Capital  Desk, the Creators Hub, and LABSPOT, the platform’s skills and enterprise development  engine, connecting sellers in film and music to buyers, distributors and investors, and pairing  skilled creatives with real opportunities. 

The 2025 edition demonstrated the demand for a platform of this scale. The EWA Deal Room  received 178+ entries, with 9 companies advancing to the accelerator programme and four  companies, Aktivate, FriendnPal, Growwr, and Sports Reels, attracting live investor interest in  the room. Investors and ecosystem partners connected to the Deal Room and Hackathon  included Future Africa, Catalyst Fund, Consonance Invest, and Askya Investment Partners. For  2026, EWA will design more intentional pathways between creatives, founders, investors,  commissioners, buyers, distributors, platforms and institutions. 

EWA’s international momentum has grown through EWA Creative Connect, the  invitation-only convening series extending the platform beyond Lagos. Creative Connect launched in Los Angeles during Grammy Week 2026, convening senior executives from  Warner Records, Adobe, Amazon, Dramabox, Afrexim and Unilever, before continuing in  London during the Nigeria–UK state visit, drawing the British Film Institute, Diageo, NBO  Capital, Ministry of Trade and Investment, global brands, and senior diplomatic figures into direct engagement with Africa’s creative economy. 

“As we mark five years of EWA, this moment is deeply significant,” said Deola Art Alade,  Convener of Entertainment Week Africa and Group CEO of Livespot360. “EWA  started with a simple but urgent belief: African creativity deserves stronger platforms, better access, and greater value. Today, the work is no longer just about convening the industry; it is about building the systems that help talent meet capital, ideas meet opportunity, and culture become long-term economic power. EWA 2026 is our boldest expression of that mission.”

“Entertainment Week Africa has always sat at the intersection of creativity, culture and opportunity,” said Darey Art Alade, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of  Livespot360. “As EWA enters its fifth year, we are focused on creating an experience that is  not only inspiring, but useful. The next generation of African creative talent needs access,  learning, platforms, community and real pathways into work and enterprise. EWA 2026 is  about building those bridges with intention.” 

Registration and speaker submissions for EWA 2026 are now open. For programming updates and registration, visit ewafrica.com. 

Social: @ewafrica_ | @livespot360 

About Entertainment Week Africa 

Entertainment Week Africa is a pan-African creative-economy platform and market,  convening talent, capital, platforms, policy, enterprise, brands, institutions, and audiences across content, music, film, television, fashion, beauty, AI, technology, live events production,  creative enterprise, art, and animation. An initiative of Livespot Foundation and produced by Livespot360, EWA has grown into a continental platform built to help African creatives and creative businesses access funding, distribution, partnerships, training, work, and global opportunities. Its annual Lagos edition combines sessions, screenings, showcases, labs,  markets, workshops, masterclasses, pitch rooms, and investor-facing programmes, while EWA  Creative Connect extends the platform internationally through senior convenings in creative capitals including Los Angeles and London. 

About Livespot360 

Livespot360 is an integrated creative company building content, venues, experiences, scenic  production and talent pipelines across Africa. Founded by Deola Art Alade and Darey Art  Alade, Livespot360 operates across five connected verticals: Livespot Studios, Livespot Scenic,  Livespot Spaces, Livespot Experiences and Livespot Icons. Its work spans film, television,  music and branded content; set, stage, and immersive design; creative venues and hospitality infrastructure; festivals and cultural IP; and talent partnerships with brands, productions, and platforms. Livespot360 is home to Entertainment Week Africa, Livespot X Festival, Detty  December Fest, and Love Like A Movie, among other cultural properties. 

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