Promotion of Lagos Street Art Festival for Urban Tourism Development In Lagos State, Nigeria

Lagos Street Art Festival (LSAF), inaugurated in December 2025, is an emerging form of urban tourism in Nigeria that seeks to position street art as a tourism asset and Lagos as a destination beyond nightlife and commercial activity. Given its novelty, empirical research on its promotion and contribution to urban tourism development remains limited. This study examined the promotional strategies employed for LSAF and assessed its contribution to urban tourism development in Lagos State. A qualitative case study design was adopted, with purposive sampling used to select key informants and thematic analysis employed for data analysis. Findings revealed that stakeholders perceive LSAF as an emerging urban cultural tourism product founded on accessibility, public inclusion, and creative placemaking. Promotion centred on social media and Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising, with social media generating greater engagement through reposts, artist participation, and popular social media pages. Live mural painting also functioned as an informal promotional strategy by attracting public curiosity. However, the roadside venue created a tension between visibility and accessibility. The study concludes that LSAF contributes to Lagos’ urban tourism development but remains at Butler’s Exploration Stage. It recommends improved visitor-flow management, longer promotional lead times, government integration, and continued international artist participation.