Every once in a while, a story returns home in a way that feels both cinematic and intimate, and HBO’s upcoming documentary on Wizkid does exactly that. Long Live Lagos, premiering December 11, threads together the quiet beginnings of a boy in Surulere with the roar of stadiums halfway across the world, creating a portrait that feels less like a biography and more like a love letter to where it all started.

The trailer opens with the kind of emotional clarity fans know well, inviting viewers into the memories and moments that shaped Wizkid’s rise — from studios in Lagos to the historic night he became the first African act to headline Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Directed by Karam Gill and executive produced by Bill Simmons, the film pays attention not just to the milestones but to the atmosphere around them: the pulse of Afrobeats, the cultural migration between Lagos and London, and the growing global audience learning to say his name with familiarity.

There is a tenderness to the way the documentary approaches his story. Exclusive footage and conversations look back at the early days, at the slow and steady ascent, at the way a local sound grew into an international language. Voices like Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, Julie Adenuga, Sunday Are, Jada Pollock, Seni Saraki, Karen Binns and long-time fans weave context around the music, reminding us that Wizkid’s rise sits inside a larger cultural shift. His victories, they suggest, are not just his. They belong to a generation watching African creativity step onto some of the world’s biggest stages and finally be seen in full colour.

As part of HBO’s celebrated Music Box series, this documentary arrives at a moment where Wizkid’s influence is both undeniable and still unfolding. Long Live Lagos captures him mid-chapter — honouring the city that shaped him, acknowledging the global community that carries his sound, and offering viewers a chance to witness an artist returning to his own history with clarity and gratitude.