December in Lagos is the biggest season of the year. Families gather, the diaspora comes home, and the city fills with weddings, concerts, parties and church services — and with traffic.
The season
- Homecomings: many Lagosians travel to their home towns for Christmas, and the diaspora flies in. The roads out of Lagos are busy before Christmas and after New Year.
- Church: carol services, Christmas Day and the crossover service on New Year’s Eve, which runs past midnight.
- Concerts and parties every weekend, and beach events on the Island.
- Weddings: December is peak wedding season.
Holidays
Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day are public holidays. Offices, banks and government services slow down for much of the season; do anything official well before.
Traffic and prices
Traffic is at its worst, flights into Lagos are at their dearest, and prices rise across the board. Book early, and shop for staples before December.
Scams and safety
Fake concert tickets, fake short-lets and robberies around ATMs and busy markets all peak in December. Buy tickets from organisers, book accommodation through a platform, and be careful with cash.