Comedian says even emerging artistes demand up to N80m for show appearances.
Popular Nigerian comedian and filmmaker Ayo Makun, better known as AY, has revealed that the cost of securing performances by some of Nigeria’s biggest music stars for his annual comedy show, AY Live, has risen significantly, with some artistes now demanding as much as N200 million.
AY also disclosed that some artistes who are yet to establish themselves as major stars in the Nigerian music industry now request fees of up to N80 million to appear at the comedy show.
The comedian made the disclosure while reflecting on the changing economics of booking Nigerian music artistes for AY Live, which has featured some of the biggest names in the country’s entertainment industry over the years.
According to AY, global stars including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage and Olamide have all performed at different editions of the show. He explained that, in the early years of AY Live, personal relationships and friendships often made it possible to secure the participation of prominent artistes without paying the enormous fees being demanded today.
“For many years, since the beginning of AY Live, Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Olamide have all performed at AY Live,” he said.
“In those days, many appearances were made possible through friendship. An artiste would accept any reasonable amount to cover their logistics, but today, the Nigerian musicians charge N200 million, N120 million, N80 million to appear on my show,” he added.
AY linked the sharp increase in performance fees to the transformation of the Nigerian music industry and the growing international appeal of Nigerian artistes.
He noted that musicians now have multiple revenue streams, including music streaming, international endorsements and other commercial opportunities that enable them to earn in foreign currencies. As a result, he said, artistes are no longer as dependent on comedy shows and similar entertainment platforms for exposure.
“The industry has changed that today the Nigerian musicians are global stars, they earn from streaming, international endorsements, several other opportunities that come in foreign currencies. So they no longer depend on comedy shows for visibility,” he said.
The comedian said the rising fees were not limited to established stars, adding that even artistes who have not yet attained major celebrity status could demand substantial sums for appearances.
“Even the upcoming artists wey never blow dey ask for N80 million,” AY said.
According to him, personal connections can still play an important role in securing artistes for entertainment events, particularly when organisers are trying to manage the increasingly high cost of celebrity appearances.
“The reality is that if you don’t have a strong personal relationship with any of these artists, bringing them to a comedy show can really be expensive,” he said.
AY’s comments highlight the changing financial landscape of Nigeria’s entertainment industry, where the international growth of Afrobeats has expanded opportunities for artistes beyond the traditional local performance circuit.
For organisers of large-scale entertainment events such as AY Live, the development means that securing headline music acts can now represent a significant portion of production costs, particularly when multiple established artistes are required for a single show.
Despite the rising fees, Nigeria’s leading music stars continue to command significant demand for live performances, driven by their growing fan bases at home and abroad and the expanding commercial value of the country’s music industry.