EbonyLife Place London Opens as UK's First Black Cinema

London has a permanent home for African and Black film. EbonyLife Place London opened its doors on 8 October, and its founder describes it as the first cinema in the United Kingdom programmed exclusively around African and Black stories.

The venue sits between Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms, on Wandsworth Road in southwest London. It was created by Mo Abudu, the Nigerian media entrepreneur and founder of EbonyLife Group, who was named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in the World and has developed international creative partnerships with organisations including Netflix, Sony Pictures and BBC Studios, according to GATMASH News.

Abudu acquired the London property in March 2025. She shared a video update in August showing its transformation from what she called a dull, empty shell into a vintage-inspired cultural venue, reporting that the centrepiece Amani Auditorium was almost complete. The London project extends the concept behind EbonyLife Place in Victoria Island, Lagos, which opened in 2019 and combines cinema, dining, hospitality and entertainment, Trivane News reported.

The launch on Thursday was strictly by invitation, with a planned programme of film previews, short films, music performances and a tribute to Fela Kuti. A public opening weekend runs from 9 October to 11 October, with screenings, DJs, live performances, dining and art, according to QEDNG via Trivane News.

A venue built for more than film

At the heart of the building is the 160-seat Amani Auditorium, which the team calls the UK's only cinema dedicated exclusively to African and Black film. Its year-round programme will show Nollywood alongside African and Black cinema and storytelling from the UK, Caribbean, US and beyond, GATMASH News reported.

The auditorium was designed to host more than screenings. Its calendar includes masterclasses, industry panels, fireside conversations, keynotes, live acoustic performances and cultural and business events aimed at bringing established names together with the next generation of creative talent.

The rest of the building continues the same idea. Visitors can eat at The Afrobeat, a 40-seat restaurant celebrating African cuisine with a contemporary approach, drink at the Fèhìntì Lounge, and browse Zuri Retail, a curated African concept store offering fashion, accessories, design and lifestyle brands from across the continent and its diaspora. The Living Wall Gallery will serve as a rotating exhibition space for contemporary African and diaspora fine art and photography, with the ambition of a serious contemporary art venue. A Grand Reception and the Maji Concession and Bar complete the offer.

In a statement, Abudu said the venue was "about bringing the richness of African and Black creativity together under one roof." She said the team was proud of its Nigerian roots but that the vision extended across Africa and the global Black diaspora, and that the invitation was open to everyone, whether they already loved these cultures or were experiencing something new.

Backing from City Hall

The opening was strongly supported by the Mayor of London. In a statement reported by GATMASH News, Sadiq Khan called the venue a "fantastic addition" to the capital's culture offer, and said it would become a leading destination for celebrating Black creativity from around the world through film, music, art, fashion and food.

Khan visited EbonyLife Place in Lagos last year as part of his trade mission to Africa, and the two cities hosted a special London edition of Lagos Canvas to celebrate creative links between their art and entertainment businesses. The opening falls during Black History Month in the UK, which Khan described as a demonstration of how the capital celebrates its diversity.

Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, said in a statement that EbonyLife Place was "born in Lagos in 2019," and called its arrival in London a "celebration of African creativity, culture and storytelling" and a bridge between Lagos and the world.

London holds one of the largest African and Caribbean diaspora populations outside the continent, and appetite for African film, music and fashion has been growing for years. Until now, the UK had no permanent cinema programmed specifically around African and Black stories, Mamos Media reported. That gap is what the new venue claims.

The opening programme includes a partnership with Film Africa, the UK's largest annual festival celebrating African cinema, and the venue plans year-round screenings, performances, showcases and collaborations with African and Black creative communities. A membership offering is also planned, with tiers to be announced in the coming months, according to GATMASH News.

Full opening announcement on GATMASH News | Coverage of the opening on Click Naija