It is 2025, yet you still see some artists and their fans act as if they hold a monopoly over things like event dates, release days, venues, and sometimes even success. We have made significant progress in comprehending the workings of certain aspects of the music industry.
The entertainment industry, as it is often described, is like the sky—big enough for multiple birds to fly. As such, it is hilarious to see people, especially industry folks who are big supporters of certain artists, champion conversations like the one this article is about.
A few days ago, an event dubbed the Black Star Experience was announced, slated for December 26, 2025. Met with mixed reactions among fans, one sentiment that seemed to tower over that of others was the accusation of sabotage. The sabotage is that the event scheduled on December 26 is meant to sabotage an artist who also has their event slated for that same date. While the artist hasn’t made such accusations, his stans and industry allies have been pushing an agenda of sabotage over the last couple of days, which this writer finds not shocking but laughable.
For clarity, the population of Accra alone is about 5 million according to the last census in 2021. That means there are 5 million different people who like other artists, various types of events, and so on. Also, it’s worth noting that there isn’t a single venue that can contain even 5% of Accra’s population, so why then are we complaining about multiple events happening on the same day? When did it even become a problem to hold multiple events on the same day?
For as long as I can remember, some days across the December festive period have always had multiple events happening on the same day. We do not even have to go far when the events of December 22, 2024, are still fresh in our minds. With events having already announced their dates and venues, we woke up one day to news of another artist hosting their event on the same 22nd. The interesting part, you ask? The event was in close proximity to another event. I do not remember fans of the first two artists coming out to cry sabotage. Because they had all made peace with what event they were already going to.
One might argue that fans are deterred by the magnitude of the competing event, which is understandable, as fans will always be fans. However, we can look back at December 27th and 28th, 2021, when both AfroNation and AfroFuture held their events on the same dates. Both event brands put together a fantastic list of performers and were equally well attended. I vividly remember moving between El-Walk and Independence Square just to catch a glimpse of both shows.
This even indicates that if any party should be complaining, it is the floating concert attendee who might have wanted to attend both events. But even they are not complaining. Because at the end of the day, there are still a lot more people who would pick one event over the other, as was the case with what happened last year on December 22 and the Afronation/Afrofuture clashes.
As long as people have the ability to choose, they are allowed to exercise that choice by going for one event, another, or not going out at all. If you have built a strong enough brand, following, and demand, you will always get people to patronize your product regardless of the competition thrown at you. If multiple artists can drop music on the same day and still secure their streams, how different is this for multiple events happening simultaneously? Especially in a city with over 5 million people.
If you cannot secure your own in the large sea filled with all these fish, it’s just a sign of insecurity fueled by dissatisfaction, lack of tactics, and discontent. Even if you had the entire week to yourself, those who will not patronize your event will still not make it. Instead of crying sabotage, rather focus your energy on pushing your own and securing as many attendees as you can. There are plenty of fish in the sea; you just need to know how to fish properly, and you will be fine.
At the end of the day, there are more artists and event organizers coming through the pipeline. There will be multiple events happening simultaneously on the same day and within close proximity. You better get comfortable and play your part. The industry is not a monopoly or someone’s sole ownership.
