Nigerian top artistes now charge N200m for AY Live shows, upcoming acts demand N80m
Nigerian comedian AY revealed that top music stars including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage and Olamide now charge up to N200 million to perform at his AY Live comedy show, while upcoming artistes who haven't yet achieved mainstream success demand as much as N80 million for appearances. He explained that previously, many appearances were made possible through personal friendships, with artistes accepting reasonable fees just to cover their logistics and transportation costs.
AY attributed this dramatic increase to the significant growth and globalization of Nigeria's music industry, noting that artistes today earn substantial revenue from international streaming platforms, lucrative endorsement deals paid in foreign currencies, and various other global opportunities. As a result, these musicians have become global stars who no longer depend on local comedy shows for visibility or as a primary source of income, fundamentally changing the economics of booking them for domestic entertainment events.
The comedian stressed that having strong personal relationships with artistes has become increasingly crucial for managing these escalating costs, pointing out that without such connections, booking major music stars for comedy shows can be genuinely prohibitively expensive. This transformation highlights both the industry's remarkable success and the evolving challenges facing local entertainment platforms seeking to feature top musical talent.