The African music scene is experiencing a surge in global popularity, with artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tyla, and more taking the world by storm. However, there's a paradox at play: these artists are struggling to perform consistently for audiences across the continent. This has created a significant cultural gap, as music has played a central role in changing how young Africans are seen globally. The question arises: why aren't these artists touring Africa itself?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that artists are choosing not to perform at home. In reality, most artists want to connect with their audiences across the continent. The challenge is not demand but execution. The absence of an African touring circuit is a story of the legacy of colonial borders, the steep cost of intra-African travel, a shortage of standardized venues and ticketing systems, and a fractured live events economy.
The cost of intra-African travel is a significant barrier. Road networks between major cultural hubs are frequently nonexistent or carry severe security risks. A high-profile convoy carrying equipment worth millions of dollars is highly vulnerable to banditry and extortion across poorly policed, porous borders. The only option is to fly, and Africa is among the most expensive regions to fly within. Intra-African air fares are, on average, 40% to 60% higher than European routes of comparable lengths.
The lack of standardized venues and ticketing systems is another challenge. While Africa has towering football stadiums built for the Africa Cup of Nations, there is a severe deficit of purpose-built indoor arenas – the 10,000- to 20,000-capacity venues that serve as the backbone of global touring. This means that promoters seeking to stage big shows must transform open-air spaces such as fields or hotel car parks into concert venues, building infrastructure from scratch and renting everything from stages and barricades to generators.
The cost of staging these shows is inevitably passed on to the fans, and African music lovers are being priced out of their own culture. Ticket prices for headline shows in Lagos by artists such as Asake and Davido hit 250,000 to 300,000 naira (roughly £135 to £160). For many locals, this represents more than a month's salary. This has led to a situation where many fans on the continent are priced out of seeing their favorite artists live.
The global success of Afrobeats has made the sector more structurally and economically viable, making investment in African music infrastructure more likely. However, it also brings a new tension: who will own it? Western giants like Live Nation and AEG have begun an aggressive push in the region, raising concerns among local industry stakeholders. If global conglomerates build the arenas and route the tours, the African music industry risks becoming dependent on external infrastructure and investment that could easily disappear if the market's global appeal slips.
In conclusion, the African music scene is at a crossroads. While the global success of Afrobeats has opened up new opportunities, it has also created new challenges. The question remains: how can the industry build a sustainable ecosystem that benefits both artists and fans across the continent?
