In Lagos, as is with many cities of modern humankind, there’s a popular desire for third spaces; places that give people an opportunity to meet, interface with and commune with other people over a common cause which could range from art, to faith, to conversations and other humanities.
Over the last century, faith spaces did most of the work, but today in addition to churches, mosques and synagogues, we see more people who are willing to interface with art in various forms. From exhibitions, to poetry readings, to concerts and raves. In the city of Lagos in Nigeria, PM2AM caters to the music lovers seeking a third space that lasts from dusk till dawn, and slightly after it.
What started off as David Fagbule and Judah Martins trying to use a rooftop space they had access to has morphed into a cultural center for Lagos party culture and youth life in Nigeria’s most commercial city.
“I used to do events while I lived in the United Kingdom for about 5 years. I tried to do events in Nigeria as well after moving back, but I didn’t know enough people to be able to make it happen. I was looking for people to work and partner with, and that’s when I met Judah,” says cofounder of PM2AM Party, David Fagbule.
He had reached out to his friend Judah Martins who runs a food chain when he got back to Nigeria in 2024, seeking to put his events organizing skills to good use and that decision to collaborate is celebrating its two years anniversary this April with a VODA Beach, Lagos edition.
“We had a bunch of options to choose from, Itty,” says Judah over the Zoom call. You can easily tell his calm demeanor from the texture of the tone with which he speaks.
“And we just figured out that since it’s supposed to be an overnight party, PM2AM would be a perfect name for the party.”
But as it is with most other things, pulling off an event on the scale of PM2AM is not something that can be left to luck or happens by chance. Over the past two years, the team has been faced with a series of socio-economic and infrastructural challenges which they have had to overcome through team effort and intentionality.
“In the UK, it was easier to get access to things than it is in Nigeria. For instance, there’s an event venue scarcity in Lagos. Sometimes you need to get a venue, and then a stage, and then sound and they just drive up your cost. Whereas in the UK, we would partner with venues and they would already have the needed facilities,” David points out as he shares some of the said challenges with team DigiMillennials.
PM2AM’s ability to navigate these challenges is what has helped them stand out in Lagos’ saturated party space, also putting into consideration aspects like creative direction for each edition of the party, the DJs’ skill sets and finances.
On this, Tobi Falade – the team’s creative director – says:
“It’s the intentionality. It takes us a lot of time to create even the posters for each edition. We put a lot of thought into how everything looks and feels at the end of the day. It takes time, effort, skill and intentionality.”
Even beyond the efforts that can be seen, PM2AM is powered by an incredible operations team that ensures every attendee has a premium third space experience that keeps them coming again and again.
“You can see the work of the creative director, but with us, we just have to make sure everything works perfectly to give the people a great experience,” being the words of Ifeanyi Odunwa, Operations Manager.
However, two years down the line, so many lessons have been learnt, which is expected when you run one of the most important parties in Lagos at the height of the country’s economic and political chaos. Yet, one abstract has stood out for David – consistency.
“…the drive to keep pushing. We do it for our community. There are people that have been with us from the start and are still with us; both DJs and party lovers. That drive and passion to make sure people have fun is what has kept us. The goal is to keep getting bigger and growing stronger.
As they gear towards the anniversary edition set for 4th of April, Ifeanyi promises a special lineup consisting both “DJs that have been there since the beginning of the journey and also exciting talents in the scene right now.”
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Itty can be caught studying African pop culture, writing about it or hosting a relationship podcast. When he's not doing any of these, then he's definitely at a bar, getting mocktail.
