Lagos is about to swing in grand style. Nine-time Grammy-winning trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Wynton Marsalis has arrived in Nigeria ahead of his much-anticipated headline performance at the 2025 Runway Jazz, a dazzling cultural fusion of world-class jazz, Nigerian artistry, and high-fashion runway spectacle.
Marsalis, one of the most celebrated figures in modern jazz, touched down in Lagos on Saturday to a warm reception from music lovers and fashion insiders alike. Beaming as he met the press, the legendary musician said simply but powerfully: “I have always wanted to be here.”
For Marsalis, whose career has spanned four decades and redefined the boundaries of jazz globally, this moment marks both a personal milestone and a historic cultural bridge between Africa and the African-American jazz legacy.
The 2025 Runway Jazz — themed “Timeless Return” — is set to transform Lagos this Sunday, 5th October, 2025, into a vibrant crossroads of sound, style, and heritage. An immersive celebration of Africa’s enduring influence on global music and culture. The show will spotlight Marsalis alongside Nigerian Afrobeat torchbearer Made Kuti, creating an electrifying dialogue between jazz’s deep roots and Afrobeat’s powerful rhythms.
The event’s runway segment will feature top Nigerian and African designers presenting collections inspired by jazz’s sophistication and Afrobeat’s rebellion, weaving music into fashion’s very fabric. Organizers say the goal is bold — to position Lagos as a global hub for jazz, fashion, and cultural tourism, drawing international attention to Nigeria’s growing creative economy.
His music — steeped in blues, swing, and soul — draws from the same African rhythms that gave birth to jazz a century ago. For many Nigerian creatives, his presence is symbolic: a celebration of heritage, resilience, and artistic excellence.
As Lagos counts down to Sunday, anticipation is high. Runway Jazz has grown into one of Nigeria’s most ambitious cultural showcases, but with Wynton Marsalis on stage, 2025 promises to be a landmark edition — one where Lagos shows the world its creative heartbeat while jazz comes home to Africa in couture and style.
