AY artiste booking costs have soared, with Ayo Makun revealing that Nigerian musicians can now charge up to ₦200 million for event appearances
Nigerian comedian and entertainment entrepreneur Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY, has revealed the soaring cost of booking Nigerian artistes, saying some performers now demand as much as ₦200 million to appear at shows.
AY made the disclosure while discussing the changing economics of Nigeria’s entertainment industry, contrasting today’s appearance fees with the relatively modest amounts artistes accepted during the early years of his AY Live comedy show.
According to the comedian, musicians including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage and Olamide have all performed at AY Live over the years.
He said many of those appearances were facilitated through personal relationships, although the artistes were still appropriately compensated for their performances.
“For many years, since the beginning of AY Live, Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Olamide have all performed at AY Live. In those days, many appearances were made possible through friendship,” AY said.
He added that artistes previously accepted reasonable payments largely to cover their logistics, but the situation has changed significantly.
“Today, the Nigerian musicians charge N200 million, N120 million, N80 million to appear on my show,” he said.
The revelation highlights how dramatically the commercial landscape around Nigerian music has changed in recent years.
AY attributed the increase to the international growth of Afrobeats and the expanding revenue streams available to Nigerian musicians.
“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,” he said.
According to AY, musicians are no longer as dependent on comedy shows and similar events for exposure because successful artistes can reach large audiences through digital platforms and international engagements.
He said the trend extends beyond established stars, with some emerging artistes who have yet to achieve major commercial breakthroughs also demanding substantial appearance fees.
“Even the upcoming artists wey never blow dey ask for N80 million,” AY said.
The comedian acknowledged that personal relationships can still influence the cost of securing an artiste, but warned that organisers without such connections may face significantly higher charges.
“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.
The comments offer an insight into the financial transformation of Nigeria’s entertainment industry, where streaming platforms, international partnerships, endorsements and overseas performances have created new income opportunities for artistes.
For event organisers, however, the growth has also changed the economics of putting together major entertainment shows, particularly where multiple high-profile performers are involved.
AY’s remarks underline the widening gap between the entertainment market of the early AY Live era and today’s increasingly global Nigerian music business.
While booking fees vary according to the artiste, event, location, duration and commercial arrangement, the figures cited by AY demonstrate the premium attached to some Nigerian music acts in the current market.
