Black Market screening at Tafawa Balewa Square recognised by Guinness
The Nollywood crime thriller Black Market set a Guinness World Record for the largest audience gathering at a single film screening after 51,000 attendees were recorded at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos.
The Guinness World Records confirmation was made during the mass screening and was also announced by the film’s distributor FilmOne on social media. FilmOne wrote on its account, “We just made history! 51,000 people!!! World record breakers!!” (see FilmOne’s post reported by Vanguard and Nairametrics).
Official tally and a differing attendance figure
Guinness World Records recognised 51,000 attendees who met the conditions for the record, according to Nairametrics, which reported the figure and the criteria used for counting.
There was a higher attendance figure cited by Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, who, according to Nairametrics, said about 64,000 people were present at the event. The organisers and Guinness, however, counted 51,000 people who fulfilled the record requirements, including remaining at the venue from the beginning to the end of the screening.
About the film and producers
Black Market was directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and produced by Rixel Studios, Signet Ring Studios and FilmOne Studios. The film’s storyline follows five market women involved in a cross-border smuggling operation whose lives are upended after the daughter of one of them is kidnapped; the plot summary is reported by both Vanguard and Nairametrics.
The cast named in reports includes Omowunmi Dada, Lateef Adedimeji, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Ibrahim Yekini (Itele D Icon) and Uzor Arukwe. Nora Awolowo is listed as a producer in Vanguard’s account.
Event logistics and organisers
The TBS event, organised by Switch Visuals and distributed by FilmOne Entertainment, opened gates to the public from 2pm, included a red-carpet session and ran the main screening later in the evening. Reports say the screening featured music, food and games and attracted numerous Nollywood personalities and government officials.
Vanguard reported that the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, supported the record attempt, and both outlets said Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat attended the event.
Context
Nairametrics noted the previous Guinness World Record for largest single-venue film screening was 43,624 people for the 2015 screening of the Filipino biographical film Felix Manalo at the Philippine Arena. Nairametrics also placed the Black Market achievement within a recent run of Nigerian Guinness World Record events, including other record attempts earlier in 2026.
Organisers, distributors and on-site Guinness staff provided the attendance confirmation and details cited in this report (see Vanguard and Nairametrics).
Featured image: Isaacayodele32 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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