The CEO of Ghana Music Awards UK, Nii Ofori Tackie aka Alordia, has stated that it will take two years for a Ghanaian artiste to be able to sell out the much-acclaimed O2 Arena in the United Kingdom.
This statement comes on the back of the successful Indigo O2 concert hosted by Ghanaian rapper Medikal on May 3, 2024.
The sold-out event featured a host of prominent musicians from Ghana, including Shatta Wale, Sarkodie, and Bisa Kdei.
This was followed by the sold-out Legends Night concert with Highlife legend Daddy Lumba, which also had Shatta Wale and Medikal on stage.
Speaking in an interview on Joy Prime on May 7, Alordia pointed out that it would take about one to two years of consistent promotion to get a fully Ghanaian audience to come and support a show hosted by a Ghanaian artiste.
“We can do the O2 Arena, but we need another one and a half to two more years to do it. The reason is that Ghanaians come out for shows, but they don't come out that much," he said.
Alordia highlighted the difference in audience turnout between events by Ghanaian and Nigerian artistes.
He asserted that while Ghanaian shows see a moderate number of attendees, Nigerian performances tend to draw larger crowds, including fans from various African nations and the Caribbean, who are familiar with these artists and their music.
“When Nigerian artistes are doing their shows, we get fans from other African countries like South Africa, Jamaica, Nigeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe, all going to support them because their music cuts across those countries. They know the songs. So as soon as they hear Wizkid is coming, they know Wizkid's songs, so, they will go," he said.
He stated that filling a major stadium like the O2 Arena would require attracting fans from other countries. Thus, Ghanaian artists would have to sell their music to these countries.
“We need to cut across, step into their boundaries, then we will see them coming,” he added.
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