Nigerian comedian and filmmaker Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY, has revealed that the cost of booking top Nigerian musicians for his annual AY Live comedy show has risen sharply, with some established artistes allegedly demanding as much as N200 million for appearances.
AY also claimed that some upcoming artistes who are yet to attain major stardom now ask for fees as high as N80 million to perform at the show.
The comedian made the disclosure while reflecting on how the cost of securing musical acts for AY Live has changed since the comedy show began.
According to him, several of Nigeria’s biggest music stars, including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage and Olamide, have performed at AY Live over the years.
He explained that in the early days of the show, personal relationships and friendships often made it easier to bring popular artistes on board, with performers sometimes accepting modest payments mainly to cover their logistics.
“For many years, since the beginning of AY Live, Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Olamide have all performed at AY Live,” AY 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.”
AY attributed the sharp increase in performance fees to the rapid growth and international expansion of Nigeria’s music industry.
He noted that Nigerian artistes now have several major revenue streams, including music streaming, international endorsements and other opportunities that pay in foreign currencies.
“The industry has changed. Today, the Nigerian musicians are global stars. They earn from streaming, international endorsements and several other opportunities that come in foreign currencies.
“So they no longer depend on comedy shows for visibility,” he said.
The comedian further expressed surprise that high appearance fees are no longer limited to established music stars.
“Even the upcoming artists wey never blow dey ask for N80 million,” he said.
AY added that personal relationships remain an important factor in securing artistes for entertainment events, as some musicians may be willing to negotiate their fees or make exceptions for people they have a strong relationship with.
“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 claim highlights the changing economics of Nigeria’s entertainment industry, where successful musicians have increasingly expanded beyond local performances into global tours, streaming, endorsements and other commercial ventures.