The Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) has revealed that its 2026 annual festival will take place from 23 October to 8 November at the MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos.
In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, Sade Doherty, the chairperson of the festival planning committee, announced that this year’s theme is “Music Sustained.” Last year’s festival was themed “In the Flow.”
Ms Doherty explained that the theme aims to show MUSON’s long-standing commitment to music education, performance, and cultural growth in Nigeria.
She pointed out that this festival will mark the 30th edition of one of Nigeria’s top cultural events. It will celebrate how MUSON has kept contributing to Nigeria’s music scene even as economic and political conditions change.
Ms Doherty added that MUSON has supported various music styles, especially classical, contemporary, and indigenous music, for over 40 years.
“Music Sustained, just those two words, is like a perfect tense of what we’ve done. It is a snapshot of what MUSON is. That is our audited report,” Ms Doherty said.
Milestones
Ms Doherty shared that this year’s festival will recognize four important milestones for MUSON.
These milestones are the 43rd anniversary of the MUSON Centre, the 37th anniversary of the MUSON Basic School of Music, the 30th edition of the MUSON Festival, and the 20th anniversary of the MUSON School of Music Diploma Programme funded by the MTN Foundation.
She said these anniversaries will give the organization a chance to reflect on its achievements and celebrate the many musicians and enthusiasts who have gone through its programs.
Ms Doherty also highlighted the Basic School’s contribution. She noted it has provided music education to people of different ages. She mentioned Yinka Davies and Kaliné as some of its notable former students.
Technology
Moreover, Ms Doherty mentioned that MUSON’s choice to include technology in the festival shows its readiness to adapt to new changes while keeping its focus on classical music.
“At MUSON, we nurture creativity and raw talent, which we now mix with innovative technologies, creating a lively contemporary and cultural space,” she said.
Ms Doherty said this year’s festival will focus on younger people, especially those from Generation Z. According to her, the organization involved them in its publicity campaign so they could help shape how the festival is presented to their peers.
She believes this strategy will help show that classical music and opera are not just for older audiences and can appeal to younger people as well.
Features
The festival will include a mix of music, theatre, and cultural activities, featuring both classical and contemporary performances, indigenous music, orchestral concerts, drama, and opera. The program will also have exhibitions and symposiums.
Ms Doherty said the organization combined popular festival features with new ideas to attract more attendees.
She added that a new Festival Village will provide space for selected exhibitors to showcase and sell items like books, musical instruments, clothing, food, and Nigerian-inspired goods.
The festival will also host a cultural reception to celebrate Nigerian traditions, alongside concerts, jazz, drama, opera, choral performances, and orchestral music.
Ms Doherty said the drama program will break new ground by presenting two productions on the same day. The afternoon show will be for a general audience, while the evening show will tackle more mature themes.
She noted that the opera segment will include a student performance of “The Mikado” in English, along with selections from operas shown at past MUSON festivals.
The fourth edition of Collabo: Music Meets Technology will also return. Ms Doherty, who started the project, said it will look at the growing role of technology in the music industry.
According to her, this year’s discussion will focus on artificial intelligence and automation, and on how these technologies are changing music production, live performance, and how audiences enjoy music.
More Features
Ms Doherty said past editions used the festival to explore the connection between music and technology, discussing topics from artificial intelligence to machine creativity.
She indicated that the 2026 edition will shift towards exploring how human imagination interacts with intelligent machines, including the challenges and opportunities that may arise from this relationship.
The program will start with a podcast screening before the main event, where Obi Asika, Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), will give the keynote speech.
She mentioned that Mr Asika’s experience as a music producer makes him well-suited to talk about Nigeria’s domestic music economy.
The program will also feature a youth variety concert, allowing young talents who have excelled in various competitions to showcase their skills.
Ms Doherty noted that MUSON left out some regular programs, like “My Kind of Music,” from the 2026 schedule. However, she revealed plans to bring back the program as a standalone event.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇