A social media storm erupted recently after a promotional flier surfaced online announcing an all-star lineup for GTBank’s Free December Concert, featuring major African acts including Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, R2Bees, Ayra Starr, Joeboy, Patoranking and Burna Boy.
The widely shared artwork, posted by various entertainment pages, portrayed the artists as confirmed performers for the December 19 concert in Accra. However, within days of the flier gaining traction, Burna Boy publicly distanced himself from the event.
In a strongly worded message posted to his social media, the global Afro-fusion star made it clear that he had no involvement whatsoever in the advertised show. According to him, even his management was unaware of the booking until they stumbled upon the flier online.
Burna Boy slammed the organisers for promoting what he called a fake show, warning them to take the publicity down immediately. He also pointed out that he would be on tour on 18th December, making the alleged performance impossible. Adding to his criticism, he stated that the organisers could not meet his booking fee even if they tried, writing:
“Y’all can’t afford me. It’s $1M for a show.”
The statement instantly went viral, triggering confusion among fans who had already begun celebrating the “heavyweight lineup” promoted on the official-looking GTBank-branded poster.
As of now, GTBank Ghana has not issued any official statement addressing Burna Boy’s claims or clarifying whether the flier was authorised.
Meanwhile, the other artists featured on the flyer have not commented publicly on the matter, leaving fans waiting for a proper update from event organisers.
The controversy has sparked a broader conversation about unauthorised event fliers, misrepresentation in concert promotions, and the need for stricter vetting before publishing artist lineups.
Story by Gideon Boateng | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Anita Azawodie
