Adedokun Waliyu 
Afrobeats star Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, sent the crowd into a frenzy on Friday night after making an unannounced appearance at Crown ‘Shallipopi’ Uzama’s Plutomania Live in Concert at Iconiq Fest 2025 in Lagos.
The Grammy-winning singer joined Shallipopi on stage during the closing moments of the rapper’s headline set, instantly turning the venue at the Landmark Event Centre electric.
Dressed casually in a white shirt and blue jeans, Burna Boy blended seamlessly into the performance, feeding off the energy of the night as fans screamed and held up their phones to capture the moment.
The surprise moment came on the third and final day of the three-day festival, held at the Landmark Event Centre.
Although Burna Boy was not billed for the event, he joined Shallipopi on stage, marking his first live performance in Nigeria this Detty December following his global No Sign of Weakness tour.
As Shallipopi powered through his set, Burna Boy was brought out to thunderous applause, marking one of the night’s biggest highlights.
Both artistes thrilled fans with a joint performance of Laho II, the remix of Shallipopi’s hit, before Burna Boy followed up with his own track, ‘Dem Dey,’ keeping the crowd firmly on its feet.
At one point, Shallipopi paused to acknowledge his guest, hailing Burna Boy as “ODG, the highest”, a tribute that drew even louder cheers from the audience.
Other surprise performances featured Afrobeats stars like Victony, Blaqbonez, Shoday, Lojay, T Dollar, Qing Madi, and Ayo Maff. Streamer Carter Efe and skit maker Gilmore also made surprise appearances.
Iconiq Fest marked its debut this year as a three-day celebration of Nigerian music and culture.
The festival opened with Chike’s Detty Love on December 18, followed by BNXN’s The Captain Experience on December 19, before closing with Shallipopi’s Plutomania Live in Concert on December 20, featuring appearances from Famous Pluto and Zerry DL.
With no reported disruptions and strong fan turnout across all three days, the festival wrapped up on a high note, with Burna Boy’s surprise appearance standing out as one of the most talked-about moments of Lagos’ Detty December run.
Burna Boy’s ‘Plutomania Live’ Iconiq Fest appearance comes ahead of the singer’s scheduled Detty December headline shows in Port Harcourt, Lagos and Delta State later this festive season.
