By Grace Zigah
Ghanaian rapper Medikal has opened up on the financial reality behind high-profile concerts staged by Ghanaian musicians abroad, saying most artistes make little or no profit despite huge investments.
In a TikTok video shared on August 26, 2026, the rapper said the focus of international shows by artistes including himself, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy is often not profit but promotion of Ghanaian music, building international visibility and giving fans abroad a memorable experience.
His comments come amid public discussion following Stonebwoy’s BHIM Festival held at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on August 15, 2026. The show at the 12,500-capacity venue drew a large crowd, leading many fans to assume significant profit.
Medikal cautioned against viewing such shows only through a profit lens. He said staging concerts in markets like the UK comes with heavy costs for venue hire, production, logistics, marketing and label recoupment.
“Don’t stress yourself too much. In Ghana, people don’t comprehend a lot of things because so many artistes are doing a lot of big things. Most of the artistes don’t even have to do what they are doing,” he said.
He added, “Most of the artistes don’t make anything from the shows. Everything goes back to the label. So, if individual artistes like myself, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy host such shows, it’s not easy… You have to appreciate it when we do such shows. It’s not even easy to break through in the part of the world where we find ourselves.”
To illustrate the risk, Medikal cited his own experience at London’s O2 Indigo two years ago. Despite what he described as a massive turnout that left many fans unable to enter, he said he ended up making a loss.
“Two years ago, I did O2 Indigo. I don’t even remember the capacity, but a lot of people from London came and they couldn’t even enter,” he said.
“The idea people were spreading was that I had staged a show in the UK and made money. I ran into a loss. These shows are just bragging rights.”
