Nollywood crime thriller Black Market has broken the Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening in a single location, after 51,000 viewers watched the movie at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos.

The record-breaking screening took place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, as thousands of movie lovers gathered at the Lagos landmark for the highly anticipated premiere.

Guinness World Records officially recognised 51,000 viewers as the qualifying attendance after the screening. The figure was based on spectators who remained at the venue from the beginning of the film until the end.

The achievement surpassed the previous record of 43,624 viewers, established in 2015 during a screening of the Filipino film Felix Manalo at the Philippine Arena.

Although Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat announced that approximately 64,000 people attended the event, Guinness World Records used the lower figure because only viewers who stayed throughout the entire screening qualified for the record.

The announcement of the record triggered celebrations among the massive crowd, with cheers and fireworks marking the achievement.

Organisers had initially targeted 50,000 simultaneous viewers, aiming to surpass the existing benchmark. The event was planned as an official Guinness World Records attempt and transformed TBS into a large outdoor cinema for the occasion.

The gates opened at approximately 2pm, while the red carpet began around 3pm. The main screening was scheduled for the evening, with entertainment activities including music, food and games taking place before the film was shown.

Long queues formed around Tafawa Balewa Square as movie lovers arrived to take part in the record attempt.

The event attracted several prominent figures, including Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Toke Benson.

A number of Nollywood stars also attended the screening, including Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Stan Nze, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Gabriel Afolayan and Kunle Afolayan, among others.

The film is directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay, who co-wrote the screenplay with Abdul Tijani-Ahmed.

Black Market follows five women involved in a cross-border smuggling operation whose lives become increasingly complicated after the daughter of one of them is kidnapped.

The movie features Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Omowunmi Dada, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Ibrahim Yekini, popularly known as Itele D Icon, and Uzor Arukwe.

Other members of the cast include Folagade Banks, Tomiwa Tegbe, Andrew Yaw Bunting and other Nigerian actors.

The record-setting premiere was organised by Rixel Studios in collaboration with FilmOne Studios, Signet Ring Studios and Switch Visuals Production.

The organisers’ decision to stage the premiere at TBS was part of a wider effort to create an unusually large-scale theatrical experience rather than hold a conventional cinema premiere.

The official target of 50,000 viewers was deliberately set above the previous Guinness World Records benchmark of 43,624. With 51,000 qualifying viewers officially recognised, the event exceeded the target by 1,000 viewers.

The distinction between the overall crowd and the qualifying attendance became important during the verification process. While the deputy governor reported a larger overall turnout, Guinness World Records counted only those who remained throughout the film.

The achievement adds another international milestone to Nigeria’s growing film industry and demonstrates the ability of Nollywood productions to attract large audiences beyond traditional cinema venues.

The massive turnout also turned the premiere into a major entertainment gathering, bringing together movie fans, actors, government officials, filmmakers and other members of Nigeria’s creative industry.

For the Black Market team, the Guinness World Record attempt was more than simply a film premiere. It was designed to create a major public event around a Nigerian production and attract international attention to the country’s cinema industry.

With Guinness World Records confirming 51,000 qualifying viewers, Black Market has officially surpassed the previous record for the largest audience at a film screening in a single location.

The historic screening at Tafawa Balewa Square has therefore become a significant moment for the film and its production team, while adding another Guinness World Records achievement to the story of contemporary Nollywood.