AY reveals Why Top Musicians Are Costly To Book For Comedy Shows

Nigerian comedian and actor, Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY, has revealed the rising cost of featuring top Nigerian musicians at comedy shows, saying some artistes now demand as much as N200m for an appearance.

AY made this known in a video shared on his Instagram page on Wednesday, while explaining the challenges faced by comedy show organisers who are expected by audiences to feature several major music artistes.

The award-winning comedian stressed that his comments were not intended to criticise Nigerian musicians or the music industry but to help audiences understand the financial demands involved in bringing major artistes to comedy events.

He recalled that several leading Nigerian musicians had performed at his AY Live shows over the years, including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Olamide, Phyno, P-Square, D’banj and 2Baba.

According to AY, such collaborations were previously made possible largely through friendships, mutual support and an understanding that artistes and comedians were building their careers together.

“In those days, many appearances were made possible through friendship, mutual support and the understanding that we were all growing together,” he said.

He, however, noted that the Nigerian music industry has changed significantly, with many artistes now operating as global stars with income from streaming, international endorsements and other opportunities.

AY explained that, unlike in the past, artistes no longer depend on comedy shows for visibility, making it considerably more expensive for organisers without personal relationships with them.

“The reality is that if you do not have a strong personal relationship with any of these artists, bringing them to a comedy show can be extremely expensive,” he said.

Shedding light on the cost to book artistes', AY disclosed that one artiste demanded N200m, another requested N120m, while another asked for N80m, comparing the cost with other expenses for running the show.

“At this point, you have to ask, how much does it cost to organise the entire comedy show?” he said.

The comedian said organisers still have to cover expenses including venue, production, sound, screens, security, publicity, comedians and staff, noting that the fee demanded by a single artiste could sometimes consume the budget for an entire show.

AY also appealed to musicians to continue supporting comedy shows, describing the relationship between both sectors as a form of collaboration that benefits artistes by helping them connect with their core Nigerian audience.

He argued that many musicians now perform regularly at international concerts but have fewer opportunities to connect directly with their Nigerian fans.

“Why don’t we just see it as a marriage that worked, in the sense that through the comedians, you connect with your immediate audience, so to speak, before you go and do the big gigs that give you the big money?” he asked.

AY further appealed to comedy audiences to focus on comedy when attending comedy shows rather than expecting several music artistes to perform.

He cited American comedians Chris Rock and Kevin Hart as examples, saying audiences attend their shows primarily to watch them perform comedy.

“Chris Rock would not depend on any artist. Kevin Hart would not depend on any artist. The audience understands it. They just come, they know that they are going to see Kevin Hart, and they are going to just laugh and go back home,” AY said.

He urged Nigerians to develop a similar culture around local comedy shows, while appreciating musicians who have continued to support the comedy industry.

Captioning the video, he wrote: "Dear Nigerians, If you buy a ticket to a comedy show, the primary promise is laughter. In the same way, nobody attends a music concert and demands that comedians must perform. For years I have committed myself for free to anchor numerous concerts for Nigerian artists i have also made financial commitments to artists to perform at Ay Live in reasonable figures. Yes! Our musicians deserve to charge what their craft commands, but comedians and comedy promoters must also be allowed to build sustainable shows around comedy. We can have them if their numbers add up to our new economic realities... Maybe it is time we stopped measuring the value of a comedy show by the number of musicians on the bill. Let comedy be enough. Watch, share your thoughts, and let us have this conversation respectfully. #AYComedian #NigerianComedy #ComedyBusiness #EntertainmentIndustry #LetComedyBeEnough."