Onome Amuge

Lagos is set to welcome the 10th edition of Margarita Festival Africa (MFAF) on November 30, 2025, a cultural showcase that has become a symbol of the region’s growing appetite for experiential tourism.

First staged in 2018 as a niche celebration of tequila and margaritas, the festival has since grown into a regional brand that blends cocktails with music, art, food, and lifestyle experiences.  The event also represents the rising appetite for experiential tourism across Africa, where festivals are increasingly viewed as economic multipliers that benefit hospitality, retail, transport, and the creative industries.

Organisers expect this year’s milestone edition to draw more than 1,500 visitors, ranging from cocktail enthusiasts to cultural tourists. For Lagos, the event is not just a celebration but also a strategic asset ; one that underscores the city’s ambition to market itself as a creative hub while diversifying Nigeria’s economic base beyond oil.

While the margarita remains the festival’s centrepiece, with more than 15 flavours and a tequila exhibition on this year’s programme,  its offering has expanded to reflect broader lifestyle trends. The festival now features a curated marketplace of food, crafts, and art, as well as live music, circus acts and cultural performances. This diversification, organisers say, reflects an intentional pivot to build an inclusive ecosystem that extends well beyond the bar scene.

One of its signature innovations, the “Margalympics,” blends competition with community-building. Ahead of the festival, judges will tour Lagos bars and restaurants to evaluate contestants, with the final showdown staged live. Festival-goers not only watch but also vote, linking consumer engagement with the showcase of mixology talent.

For Lagos, hosting the sixth local edition of MFAF showcases the city’s positioning as a creative capital. Nigeria’s economic analysts have for long, highlighted the need to boost non-oil exports of culture, arts, and tourism. The MFAF aligns neatly with this agenda, offering an example of how a private cultural initiative can coincide with public development goals.

Founder Wendz Connoisseur projects the festival as both a cultural celebration and economic vehicle. “What began as a dream to celebrate the margarita cocktail has become a thriving cultural movement that unites people across nations. As we celebrate our 10th edition, we are excited to showcase the magic of Lagos while reinforcing Nigeria’s place as a cultural and tourism hub in Africa,” she said. 

The cross-border reach of MFAF is another dimension worth noting. With past editions in Accra and Abidjan, the festival has become one of few African lifestyle brands with a consistent regional presence. For West African cities, which are increasingly competing for tourists and investors, hosting such cultural assets has become a differentiator.

Analysts note that the festival’s regional expansion mirrors the growth of pan-African consumer brands in fashion and music, helping to create shared cultural touchpoints that reinforce both soft power and commercial value.

MFAF also carries a social mandate. Its LimeFolk initiative provides back-to-school kits for children of hospitality workers and offers bartender training grants, reinforcing its links to the grassroots of the sector. In a country where the hospitality workforce often faces precarious conditions, these small-scale interventions add weight to the festival’s social licence.

This year’s edition is expected to draw more than 1,500 attendees, including tourists. For local businesses, the influx represents direct spending opportunities, from hotels to taxis to small-scale vendors. For Lagos, it is another step toward cementing its reputation as a cultural economy capable of attracting both visitors and investment.