Nigerian media mogul, Mo Abudu has announced the opening of EbonyLife Place London, a new cinema and cultural hub set to become the United Kingdom’s first venue dedicated exclusively to African and Black films. 

The founder and chief executive of EbonyLife Group shared the announcement alongside a video documenting the transformation of the property, which she acquired in March 2025 and has since converted into a full scale entertainment and cultural destination.

According to Abudu, EbonyLife Place London will officially open its doors in October, positioned as a cultural and creative hub built entirely around African cinematic storytelling.

She described the significance of the project, noting that the venue would not simply function as a cinema but as a home for the wider spectrum of African creativity, spanning fashion, music, food and art. The site, located on Wandsworth Road just minutes from the West End and close to the new American Embassy, offers sweeping views across the London skyline.

The new space will center around the Amani Auditorium, complemented by a Grand Reception, the Afrobeat Restaurant, the Fèhintì Lounge, the Maji Concession and Bar, Zuri Retail and the Living Wall Gallery, creating an experience that mirrors the model already established at EbonyLife Place in Lagos.

That Lagos location has grown into one of Nigeria’s leading entertainment and lifestyle destinations since it opened, and Abudu’s team is now looking to replicate that success in one of the world’s biggest media and arts capitals, home to one of the largest African and Caribbean diaspora communities outside the continent.

The London expansion has already attracted attention beyond the entertainment industry, with the project recognised by the UK government as part of efforts to deepen investment and creative ties between Nigeria and Britain. The venue is expected to create up to forty jobs and forms part of the UK Africa Investment Summit framework, building on Abudu’s appointment as the UK government’s Creatives Champion in 2024. It marks another milestone in a career that began in 2013 when Abudu founded EbonyLife Group, starting with a 24 hour entertainment and lifestyle television network before expanding into film production and building EbonyLife into one of Africa’s most influential media companies.

With African music, fashion and film increasingly finding mainstream global audiences, Abudu’s latest venture gives that momentum a permanent physical address in London, one that industry watchers say has been missing for years despite steady interest in African stories through festivals and one off screenings.

Photo Credit: Pulse.ng