Tems and Runtown Thrill Fans at Spotify Surround Sound in Lagos

Nigerian music stars Tems and Runtown gave selected fans an intimate live experience in Lagos as Spotify brought its Surround Sound performance series to Nigeria.

The two-night showcase took place at Livespot, Lagos, on September 25 and 26, 2026, with Spotify Premium listeners selected through their listening behaviour rather than a conventional public ticket sale.

Tems Revisits the Music That Started Her Journey

Tems headlined the first night, taking fans through songs from her acclaimed 2020 EP For Broken Ears, including “Ice T” and “Damages.”

Her set also featured earlier songs such as “Mr Rebel” and “Try Me,” alongside later releases including “Love Me JeJe” and “What You Need.”

One of the memorable moments came when Tems encouraged the audience to sing along, making the crowd an active part of the performance.

Spotify’s Surround Sound format is designed around an intimate, in-the-round setup that brings artists physically closer to their listeners while capturing the performances for full-length music films.

Runtown Brings “Mad Over You” Back to Life

Runtown took over the second night, opening with “Lagos to Kampala” and “Gallardo” before moving through songs including “For Life,” “International Badman Killa,” “Unleash” and “Kini Issue.”

The biggest sing-along moment came with his 2016 hit “Mad Over You.” Runtown performed the song during his set and returned to it again to close the show, with fans joining in.

Ahead of the performance, Runtown noted that it would be his first performance with his band in 10 years.

Spotify Turns Streaming Data Into a Live Experience

Unlike a traditional concert, Spotify did not sell tickets publicly for the Lagos shows. Selected Premium subscribers were invited directly based on their listening behaviour.

The concept was designed to connect listeners who already have a strong relationship with an artist’s catalogue with an intimate live performance.

Spotify’s data also highlighted the continued interest in both catalogues. According to data shared around the event, 21.6% of listeners who played For Broken Ears in January 2022 also listened to the EP in August 2026, while “Mad Over You” had appeared in more than three million user-created playlists.

Tems and Runtown Performances Were Filmed

The Lagos performances were also filmed for future Spotify releases.

The projects, titled Surround Sound presents Tems and Surround Sound presents Runtown, are expected to allow fans outside the Lagos venue to experience the performances. Spotify has not yet announced their release dates.