Mo Abudu opens a new home for black and African movies in London

Mo Abudu, celebrated by Forbes as “one of the 100 most powerful women in the world” and by Hollywood Reporter as “one of the most powerful women in film”, has brought her creative entrepreneurial magic to London.

On Thursday 8 October 2026, Mo Abudu opened the doors of her new venture, EbonyLife Place, London, to guests that included the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan and a huge Lagos contingent led by representatives of the Lagos state government, as well as sponsors, FidBank UK and Flutterwave.

Situated on Wandsworth Road in the Nine Elms area of London, EbonyLife London includes the Amani auditorium, a 170-seater movie theatre, the Afrobeat Restaurant and Zuri, a fast fashion retail space. Inside are also the Maji concession stand and bar, as well as the Fehinti lounge.

In her welcome address, Mo Abudu said the journey to that moment began two years earlier with finding the property and renovating it.

“This place was called the Lost Theatre, but now it’s been found”, she said to laughter from the crowd.

She described Ebonylife Place as the creation of something that never existed before, “the first cultural hub of its kind in the UK bringing together black and African film and storytelling.”

She told her audience that there was a similar establishment about twenty years ago.

The Electric cinema was a black cinema in Notting hill which ended up being taken over by Soho House. So, while EbonyLife Place might not be the first “it is the only one now bringing together art, music, food, film and fashion under one roof because representation is very important in every society.”

Speaking further, Mo Abudu described EbonyLife Place as more than a cinema. “It is about creating an experience, a place where culture can be watched, heard, tasted, discovered and celebrated and most importantly one that welcomes everyone.”

She noted that beyond culture, commercial success is important because “we want to create opportunities for young people, so we have established EbonyLife CIC in terms of how we can give back to the community. We have done this in Lagos.” 

She also shared the larger vision, which includes setting up more EbonyLife Places across the UK, “so Mayors of other UK cities, I will be knocking on your doors,” she said in conclusion.

Sadiq Khan, in his remarks, described Mo as “a trailblazer, a powerhouse and an icon in her own right” before noting that his admiration for her stems from her “absolute dedication to championing African culture and African storytelling.”

Sir Khan, who was serenaded with a happy birthday song, described the EbonyLife Place as “a new home for black and African culture and creativity here in London and… a bridge between two of the world’s leading creative hubs, Lagos and London.”  

The launch of EbonyLife Place is a significant outcome of the Mayor of London’s three-nation trade mission in July 2025, during which she was hosted in Lagos under the umbrella of Lagos Canvas, a specially curated event hosted by Mo Abudu at EbonyLife Place in Victoria Island, Lagos.

 It was a showcase of music, film, fashion and art. 

Guests were treated to sneak previews of the forthcoming movie, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wife from the stable of EbonyLife Films. The eagerly anticipated film is adapted from the novel of the same title by Lola Shoneyin and directed by Daniel Oriahi. 

In a chat with New African Magazine, Tasha Segree of Daniel Ford International, a London Property Acquisition company, said it took the company three months to find the space.

“What Mo has done here is amazing. This was formerly the Lost Theatre and when we found it was all black seats and décor. It was dark and depressing. Mo has turned it into something bright and cheerful.”

She said the location is also right, with a good mix of different ethnicities.

As guests gathered outside EbonyPlace, London, for photographs, a black girl walking past with her father stopped, pointed and asked, “Daddy, what is this place?”

As her father searched for the answer, a female guest piped up.

“This is EbonyLife Place. It is a cinema.”

“Who owns it?”

“A black woman,” the guest answered as a bright smile spread over the child’s face.

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