April 2025 (17-21): Patta, WAF. (Wafflesncream), and Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) joined forces to deepen the cultural connection between Amsterdam and Lagos during the 8th edition of the Homecoming Festival in Lagos, the largest and most vibrant city of Nigeria.
Amsterdam has long been a global hub for cutting-edge electronic music and independent fashion, while Lagos stands tall as Africa’s cultural powerhouse – a city bursting with energy, creativity, and a new wave of artists and collectives reshaping the global cultural landscape. Home to some of the world’s freshest sounds and most innovative movements, Lagos is showing how culture can fuel not just community, but commerce.
Homecoming is an annual celebration of cultural exchange between Africa and the world. Hosted in Lagos, the festival champions African talent across music, fashion, art, and culture – from rising stars to established icons. This year, Patta, WAF., and ADE came together to spotlight the powerful synergy between culture and commerce, proving that grassroots creativity can become a sustainable business model when nurtured with intention and respect. As part of the festival, the three collaborators organized a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring Vincent van de Waal and Edson Sabajo of Patta, Sophie Kemperman of Amsterdam’s Skate Café, Eben Badu of The New Originals (Amsterdam), and Jomi Marcus Bello of WAF. (Lagos). The conversation explored the intersection of culture and business within their respective brands and communities. All panellists echoed a shared belief: when done with authenticity, culture and commerce are not only compatible — they amplify one another.
This philosophy came to life through two key activations at the festival. First, WAF. hosted ‘Go Skate Day’ at their skate park on Lagos Island, followed by an informal and electric afterparty., organized together with Patta and ADE. Skaters, music professionals, and culture lovers gathered to dance, share drinks, and soak in the vibrant energy of Lagos’s creative scene. The next day, Patta and WAF. dropped a special fashion collaboration at the Homecoming pop-up, including their iconic boxing shorts – which quickly sold out in smaller sizes within just two hours of launch.
Together, these events underscored a simple but powerful truth: culture is not just art – it’s economy, community, and identity. And when cities like Amsterdam and Lagos connect through platforms like Homecoming, the results are not only inspiring, but transformative. And that’s why ADE decided for the second year in a row to take Amsterdam-based music professionals with them to Lagos: their mission goes beyond striking deals – it’s about building bridges. Events like theirs aim to connect music professionals across the globe, spotlight emerging talent and fresh sounds, and foster a more inclusive music industry that reflects and serves diverse communities. At its core, ADE believes music is culture, and culture is music — inseparable, ever-evolving, and essential.
Read more about festivals around the world here.
image: louise overhaus
