‘Black Market’ screening sets Guinness attendance record in Lagos

Nollywood crime thriller Black Market has broken the Guinness World Records mark for the largest attendance at a film screening in a single location, after 51,000 viewers watched the movie in Lagos. The record-setting screening took place on Saturday at Tafawa Balewa Square, where thousands of movie lovers gathered for the premiere. Guinness World Records confirmed the achievement after the event.

Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat said 64,000 people attended, but Guinness World Records recognised 51,000 as the qualifying figure. The count was based on viewers who remained from the beginning of the film to the end. Organisers had aimed to attract 50,000 simultaneous viewers and surpass the previous record of 43,624.

That benchmark was set in 2015 during a screening of the Filipino film Felix Manalo at the Philippine Arena. Long queues were reported around the venue as attendees arrived. The gates opened at 2pm, followed by a red carpet at about 3pm, while the main screening was scheduled for 7pm.

The event also included music, food, games and other entertainment activities. It was attended by Hamzat, Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Toke Benson, and actors including Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Stan Nze, Linda Ejiofor, Gabriel Afolayan and Kunle Afolayan. Directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and co-written by Gimsay and Abdul Tijani-Ahmed, Black Market follows five women involved in cross-border smuggling after the daughter of one of them is kidnapped.

The film stars Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Omowunmi Dada, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Itele D Icon and Uzor Arukwe, among others. Rixel Studios organised the screening with FilmOne Studios, Signet Ring Studios and Switch Visuals Production.