I Pulled Up to Spotify’s Greasy Tunes at Fired & Iced and Left With Sore Feet

From October 1 to 19, Spotify is bringing something bold, green, and very Lagos to one of my most-loved hangouts: Fired & Iced. The restaurant-bar has undergone a full transformation for Greasy Tunes, a 19-day cultural takeover that blends music, food, and Nigerian heritage.

If you walk into Fired & Iced this October, don’t expect the same old backdrop. The walls are washed in an iconic green-white-green checkboard, and the decor? Retro Nigerian motifs like those plastic chairs and old serving dishes that feel straight out of an album cover.

It’s Lagos nightlife with a brand-new filter, and honestly, it’s giving “Instagram corner in every direction.”

The food is part of the performance. The Greasy Tunes menu leans into Nigerian authenticity with playful music-inspired names, like the Fela Fire Wings or the Odumodu Ribs. It’s green-white-green vibes on the plate as much as on the walls, and you’ll probably spend as much time snapping your meal as eating it.

DJs, Live Sets & All the Sounds

The music curation is what makes this takeover more than just a pretty facelift. The opening night kicks off with a fire lineup: South African house DJ Thakzin, Lagos’ own Blessing Ewona (WEAREALLCHEMICALS), and Group Therapy’s Aniko. Later in the week, you can expect performances from “Catharsis” singer RADAR Star, FOLA, a meet-and-greet, and a live show from Adekunle Gold, perfectly lined up with his new music drop on 3 October.

Spotify isn’t just throwing DJs on stage. The programme includes screenings (like a documentary on Afro-Nigerian Afro-funk), and on 11 October, an Eyo masquerade performance that ties the whole activation back to Lagos’ rich cultural roots. It’s nightlife, food, and heritage colliding in one space.

And on Sunday? Drop by after church for the Afro Gospel Rave.

I pulled up a little early, which was perfect. I got to soak in the setup before the crowd filled out. First stop? The decor. Both indoor and outdoor spaces were bathed in Spotify green, dotted with nods to Nigeria’s retro-cool aesthetic: green-white-green motifs, +234 graphics, and cheeky illustrations of plastic chairs and crates.

At the gates, guests picked up fridge magnets; inside, we were handed stickers in the same style. Photo walls were everywhere, and people wasted no time turning them into backdrops.

A clever touch? A newspaper-style welcome note from Chef Imoteda, along with flyers breaking down the program for each day. Even the staff got dressed up, jerseys with urban streetwear energy, topped off with green caps. It was a full, cohesive world.

Let’s get into the menu. I tried three cocktails over the night: the Long Island Iced Coffee, Coffee & Cigarettes, and Fired & Iced. Each one hit differently: refreshing, strong, sweet, but always balanced. My personal favourite? The Long Island Iced Coffee, I've never seen such a smooth twist. I was pleasantly surprised.

Themed cocktails tied neatly into the vibe without feeling forced. It wasn’t just branding for branding’s sake; it worked.

The lineup was stacked: DJ Thakzin, DJ/Producer Duo Faem, Aniko, RVTDJ, and WEAREALLCHEMICALS.

RVTDJ’s set was my first time experiencing them live, and I’m glad I did; a tight, pulsing techno set. But Thakzin? Say less. This man has cemented himself as one of my favourite DJs of 2025. Both sets I’ve caught this year have been stellar, and this one was no different.

The closing from WEAREALLCHEMICALS had the crowd in full motion. People danced straight through, no dips in energy. Sound-wise, I was impressed: crisp and controlled.

It was packed, but in a good way. Ravers, musicians, fashion kids, skaters, nightlife heads, tech and entertainment folks, all blending together. The energy felt inclusive, fun, and very Lagos.

This didn’t feel like another stiff brand activation. It felt lived-in, rooted in Lagos creative culture. The visual rollout, from stickers to fliers, has been my favourite thing so far. It has made it feel cohesive and intentional.

Honestly? Spotify owes me nothing.

Final rating: solid 8/10 night out

We’ve seen branded events touch down in Lagos before, but Spotify has been consistently hands-on with the city’s creative spaces. Greasy Tunes feels like an extension of that, spotlighting Nigerian music, merging food and culture, and providing a place for people to gather around both.

Greasy Tunes isn’t landing in Lagos in a vacuum. In South Africa last year, the series spanned four themed weeks, featuring events such as Tyla’s RADAR Africa documentary screening and a live performance of "Water," as well as Nasty C headlining Mzansi Raps, alongside hip-hop acts like Okmalumkoolkat, Dee Koala, MashBeatz, and more.

The format was the same, greasy foods, fresh sounds, and spaces where fans could get closer to their favourite artists.