Quote from Oladosun Joshua Segun on September 23, 2023, 6:01 PM

If you are a fan of Burna Boy, the Grammy award-winning Nigerian artist, you might be disappointed to hear that his planned concert in Johannesburg, South Africa, has been cancelled. The show was supposed to take place on {September 23, 2023}, at the FNB Stadium, which has a capacity of 90,000 people. However, according to his management, the concert was called off due to the inability of the promoters to fulfil their contractual, financial, production and technical obligations.

What went wrong?

According to a statement by TicketPro, the ticketing company for the concert, production vendors had not been paid on time and the agreed production standard needed for the venue size could not be achieved. The statement also said that all ticket sales had been seized and refunds would be issued to those who had bought tickets.

The cancellation came after reports that the concert had been postponed to December 16, 2023, due to low ticket sales. According to some sources, only 1,500 tickets had been sold for the concert, which cost R765 (32,000 naira) each. This was attributed to the high price of the tickets and the lack of interest from South African fans.

Why did South Africans snub Burna Boy?

Some social media users in South Africa celebrated the cancellation of Burna Boy's concert, saying that he was not welcome in the country after his past controversial comments. In 2019, Burna Boy had vowed never to set foot in South Africa again after a series of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other foreigners in the country. He also had a heated Twitter feud with the late rapper AKA, who died on 10 February 2023.

Burna Boy later changed his mind and agreed to perform at the Africans Unite concert in Cape Town and Pretoria in November 2019. However, that concert was also cancelled after threats of violence from some South African artists and activists who opposed Burna Boy's participation.

In Feb 2023, Burna Boy released a statement alluding to AKA's death, saying that he had forgiven him and prayed for his soul. However, this did not sit well with some South Africans who accused him of being insensitive and disrespectful.

What's next for Burna Boy?

Despite the cancellation of his South Africa concert, Burna Boy is still one of the most successful and influential artists in Africa and beyond. He has won his first Grammy award for his album Twice as Tall and has collaborated with international stars like Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Sam Smith and Sia,

Burna Boy has not yet commented on the cancellation of his South Africa concert or responded to the reactions from his fans and critics. However, he is known for his outspokenness and confidence, so he might address the issue soon. In any case, we hope that he will continue to make great music and spread his message of African unity and pride.