AY Makun reports rising performance fees for Nigerian music stars

Comedian and filmmaker Ayodeji Richard Makun, popularly known as AY, has reported a significant increase in the fees demanded by top Nigerian musicians to perform at his annual comedy event, AY Live.

Makun noted that while major artists such as Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, and Olamide have appeared at the show in the past, many of those appearances were facilitated through personal friendships and modest payments intended to cover logistics. He stated that current demands from leading musicians now range from ₦80 million to as much as ₦200 million.

Expressing concern over the economic sustainability of comedy shows, Makun argued that while musicians deserve to charge market rates for their craft, comedy promoters must also be able to build sustainable events centered on laughter. He suggested that the high costs may make it difficult to continue featuring musical guests if the numbers do not align with the current economic realities of comedy production.