While live events, travel, and nightlife dominate the Detty December period, cinema-going has increasingly become part of the season’s routine, a social activity folded into group outings, dates, and downtime between events rather than a competing alternative.
In Nigeria, Detty December is the festive period when locals and returning diaspora flood concerts, festivals, nightlife, and social events, creating one of the busiest consumer seasons of the year. At a time when Nigerian film commentators often point to a cinema admissions problem, with stakeholders making organised efforts to rebuild and strengthen cinema culture, it is important to highlight the significance of Detty December.
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While December has long been a familiar release window for producers like Funke Akindele (Behind The Scenes) and Toyin Abraham (Oversabi Aunty), filmmakers such as Ini Edo (A Very Dirty Christmas) and Niyi Akinmolayan (Colours of Fire) also (re)-entered the period in 2025, aligning their releases with the season’s built-in audience movement. Over the years, this strategy has helped position December as a dependable pillar within Nigeria’s cinema ecosystem, similar to the summer blockbuster window abroad.
A clearer picture of December’s dominance emerges when both box office revenue and audience turnout, as recently reported in FilmOne’s yearbook, are considered. In December 2025, Nigerian cinemas recorded a box office gross of approximately 2.95 billion naira from 487,606 admissions, marking the highest December performance in the past five years. Although admissions dipped from December 2024’s peak of 538,341, revenue rose significantly, pointing to stronger per-ticket value and sustained willingness to pay for theatrical experiences during festive windows. This upward trend becomes more evident when placed against the December window of previous years: 525 million naira from 366,841 admissions in 2020, 1.03 billion naira from 517,987 admissions in 2021, 1.10 billion naira from 408,025 admissions in 2022, 1.69 billion naira from 469,324 admissions in 2023, and 2.8 billion naira from 538,341 admissions in 2024.
Despite December’s headline numbers, the broader admissions data provide important context. Nigerian cinemas experienced a sharp post-pandemic decline in attendance, with admissions falling from approximately 3.4 million in 2021 to 2.6 million in 2023. However, the past two years have marked a gradual recovery. Admissions rose to about 2.67 million in 2024 and further to 2.8million in 2025, signalling a slow but steady rise.
Cinemas maintained relevance by offering event-driven experiences. This relevance was sustained by intense competition from both local and international titles. Nigerian releases such as Behind The Scenes, Oversabi Aunty, A Very Dirty Christmas and Colours Of Fire drew strong holiday crowds with their star power, while international studio films like Avatar: Fire & Ash, David and Zootopia 2 also attracted viewers. Together, these films transformed December cinemas into event spaces.
Beyond December, Nigeria’s box office calendar reveals a handful of other dependable windows, though none rival the festive season’s pull. January benefits most from post-Detty December spillover, ranking as the second strongest month of 2025 with approximately 1.74 billion naira in box office revenue from 334,056 admissions. Mid-year periods such as April, May, and June also show notable strength, driven by public holidays and school breaks, with June recording 1.33 billion naira from 238,617 admissions. In contrast, the weakest recorded months without event-driven titles are September, October, and November. Analysing the numbers, December’s performance reinforces that audience interest has become seasonal and experience-driven.
Looking ahead, this pattern is already shaping release expectations for December 2026, with familiar box office forces expected to return. Producers such as Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham, both consistent December performers, are widely anticipated to re-enter the festive window. Adding further weight to the period is the marquee adaptation The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, a high-profile co-production between EbonyLife, Genesis, Nile Entertainment, and Silverbird. This signals continued confidence in the festive window as Nollywood’s most commercially potent release period.
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