EbonyLife Place brings Black and African cinema to south London

London has a new address for a cinema night with a different perspective. EbonyLife Place London, on Wandsworth Road, brings Black and African film together with food, fashion and art. Opened this October by media entrepreneur Mo Abudu, the venue offers a new reason to explore the area around Nine Elms, whether you already follow Nigerian cinema or want somewhere to begin.

The attraction is the combination: a film can be the starting point for an evening that also includes dinner or browsing African design. Here is what the venue currently offers, how to find it and what to check before setting off.

What is EbonyLife Place London?

The project builds on the EbonyLife Place concept in Lagos. Its official introduction describes a London destination connecting African creators and entrepreneurs with an international audience. Nigerian talent is central to that vision, but the cultural programme reaches across Black and African storytelling.

Abudu explained the ambition in an interview published by Euronews on 13 October: she wants African stories to have a permanent, accessible home in the capital. Her wider aim is for these films and cultural spaces to become a familiar part of everyday entertainment, rather than something audiences encounter only occasionally.

A cinema programme worth exploring

The Amani Auditorium is the venue’s screening space. The official website identifies Nollywood, African filmmaking, Black British, Caribbean and diaspora stories among its areas of interest. It also describes a space for premieres, conversations, masterclasses and performances, alongside cinema screenings.

For anyone new to Nollywood, that means a chance to discover Nigerian filmmaking on a big screen. For existing fans, it provides another place to follow the work with an audience. The practical starting point is the cinema’s own listings and booking page, where the current titles and showtimes are published.

Choose the screening before arranging the rest of your evening. Check the individual film’s running time, age classification and any event-specific information when booking. A general venue opening time is not a film start time, and a mention of premieres or masterclasses does not mean one takes place on every visit.

Dinner, drinks and African design

The restaurant, The Afrobeat, focuses on Nigerian and African cuisine. Its booking page currently lists Wednesday and Thursday dinner reservations from 5pm to 9.30pm, Friday lunch and dinner sessions, and Saturday and Sunday bookings from noon to 9.30pm. Restaurant bookings are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Those dining hours differ from the wider building’s hours, so check both if you are planning a meal around a film. The restaurant recommends booking ahead for evenings and weekends and asks guests to flag allergies or dietary requirements when reserving and again with their server.

There are also the Fèhìntì Lounge and Maji bar spaces. Meanwhile, Zuri Retail presents pop-ups spanning fashion, jewellery, beauty and homeware from African designers and artisans. It adds a shopping element to the destination without requiring your whole visit to revolve around a screening.

Where it is and how to plan a visit

The address is 208 Wandsworth Road, London SW8 2JU. The venue’s visitor information names Nine Elms, Stockwell and Wandsworth Road as nearby stations, and lists bus routes 77, 452 and 345. Check your journey on the day, particularly if combining the trip with another stop.

General opening hours are currently 4pm–11pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, and 11am–11pm from Wednesday to Sunday. There is no dedicated venue car park. The venue says it has step-free access throughout and accessible facilities; contact its team before visiting if you need specific arrangements.

For a first visit, pick a film that interests you, confirm the booking and leave enough time for dinner separately. With cinema, food and design in one building, EbonyLife Place offers Londoners a fresh cultural destination to put on their list.