Nollywood has set a new Guinness World Record for the largest audience gathering for a movie screening, after more than 51,000 people gathered at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, to watch the crime thriller Black Market.
The feat was confirmed by a Guinness World Records official during the screening on Saturday night, after more than 51,000 people were recorded as having attended the event.
FilmOne, the film’s distributor, also confirmed the achievement in a statement shared on its social media platforms.
“51,000+ people. One screen. One moment that just made history,” FilmOne said.
“We’ve officially set a WORLD RECORD for the Largest Audience Gathering Ever for a Movie Screening.”
We just made history! 51,000 people!!! World record breakers!!
Black Market is produced by @rixelstudios , @signetringstudios and @filmone_studios
The distributor added, “Nigeria, we didn’t just watch a movie. WE MADE HISTORY.”
TBS was packed with movie lovers who arrived in large numbers ahead of the screening, with hundreds of attendees trooping into the venue several hours before the event.
The screening had been organised as an attempt to set a Guinness World Record, with organisers targeting an audience of 50,000 people at a single location.
The gates opened at 2pm, followed by a red-carpet session at about 3pm, while the main screening was scheduled to take place between 7pm and 8:30pm.
Long queues stretched towards the TBS roundabout as movie lovers made their way into the venue.
The event also featured music, food and games, while celebrities and other personalities were spotted at the venue.
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, arrived at the venue at about 8:50pm.
Among the celebrities spotted at the event were Gabriel Afolayan, Real Warri Pikin and Tomi Ojo.
Black Market was produced by Rixel Studios, Signet Ring Studios and FilmOne Studios, and distributed by FilmOne.
The film was directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and produced by Nora Awolowo.
It stars Omowunmi Dada, Lateef Adedimeji, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Ibrahim
Yekini, popularly known as Itele D Icon, and Uzor Arukwe, among others.
The crime thriller follows five market women involved in a cross-border smuggling operation amid fuel scarcity and economic pressure.
The story takes a dramatic turn after the daughter of one of the women is kidnapped, throwing the women’s lives into turmoil.
The record-breaking screening was supported by the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, alongside several corporate partners.
